![people vote in ballot boxes](https://media.alaskapublic.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/221108-AnchDivofElections-Polling-ELoughlin.jpg)
The Alaska Division of Elections certified this month’s general election on Wednesday. Candidates now have until the end of the day Monday, Dec. 5, to request a recount.
In a recount, ballots for a particular race are counted again using scanners in Juneau, according to division director Gail Fenumiai. One precinct is also randomly selected to be hand counted, which is a way of validating the results against the scanners.
The state pays for a recount in races in which candidates are separated by less than 0.5% of the vote. Otherwise the candidate requesting the recount foots the bill.
Candidates can also request recounts limited to specific precincts.
While many races have close margins of a few hundred votes or less, the closest is in House District 15, where Republican incumbent Tom McKay leads Democrat Denny Wells by just seven votes.
![A man in a plaid shirt at his desk.](https://media.alaskapublic.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/112122_DennyWells_Faubion_3-scaled.jpg)
Wells told the Alaska Beacon on Wednesday that he was leaning toward requesting a recount, but hadn’t made a final decision.
Elections are certified after the state review board in Juneau reviews all materials involved in the election, including precinct registers, ballots cast in a precinct, and absentee, questioned and early ballots. They then sign an oath to make the results official.
View the final results here.
Check out more elections coverage at alaskapublic.org/elections.
Kavitha George is Alaska Public Media’s climate change reporter. Reach her at kgeorge@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Kavitha here.