Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy vetoed a bipartisan election reform bill on Thursday, citing concerns about implementing significant changes to election procedures during an active election year.

The Republican governor stated that the legislation would impose "significant operational burdens on the administration of Alaska's elections during an election year in which several statewide contests" are scheduled. Dunleavy emphasized the timing challenges of implementing new election procedures so close to the November elections.

The vetoed bill had received bipartisan support in the Alaska Legislature and would have introduced major changes to the state's election processes. The specific reforms contained in the legislation were not detailed in the governor's veto statement.

Alaska is preparing for several statewide races in the upcoming November election cycle. The state has previously undergone significant election changes in recent years, including the implementation of ranked-choice voting and open primaries following a 2020 ballot initiative.

The veto leaves Alaska's current election procedures unchanged for the 2024 election cycle. Legislative supporters of the bill have not yet announced whether they will attempt to override the governor's veto when the legislature reconvenes.