Biden looks to nudge further ahead with Alaska and Wyoming Democratic delegates

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — President Joe Biden looks to nudge further ahead in his party's nomination for reelection with Democratic voting Saturday in Wyoming and Alaska.

As two of the least populated states, Alaska and Wyoming play minuscule roles in both intraparty and general election voting in presidential election years.

Biden effectively clinched the Democratic nomination on March 12 with the Georgia primary and is now all but certain to face former President Donald Trump as the Republican nominee in November.

Alaska Democrats will hold a voice vote for their party-run preference poll at in-person and virtual district meetings Saturday.

Biden is the only candidate on the ballot after the other Democrat to qualify, Dean Phillips, suspended his campaign last month. The vote is being held during meetings where other party business is conducted.

The polling was delayed a week. Democrats had planned a ranked vote election by mail on April 6 but those plans changed when just two candidates — Biden and Phillips — qualified for the ballot and when Phillips suspended his run.

Changes to their plan were approved by the Democratic National Committee.

Biden was the only candidate on the ballot, with no provisions for write-ins or uncommitted, said Lindsay Kavanaugh, the Alaska party’s executive director.

“There is no option to vote nay,” she said. “You can abstain. You don’t vote yes or no, you vote for a candidate.”

The party proceeded with a vote, even with just one candidate, “to make sure we’re as inclusive as possible,” she said, and to avoid any inference that party leaders were deciding candidates themselves.

Alaska will allocate 15 pledged delegates based on Saturday’s vote.

Wyoming's Democrats will hold county caucuses Saturday where polling will determine which presidential candidate gets the state's 17 national delegates.

The caucuses will also determine who goes to the state Democratic convention on June 1 in Casper. There, 13 of Wyoming's national convention delegates will be chosen.

Wyoming’s other four “automatic” national delegates are the state party chairman, vice chair and two national committee people, who’ve not yet pledged for Biden or anyone else.

The winner of Saturday's presidential poll will get the first-round vote of all 17 Wyoming delegates at the national convention. Should more rounds of voting be needed, the delegates will then be free to vote for whomever they wish.

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Gruver reported from Cheyenne, Wyoming.