( NewsNation) — A city in Alaska is preparing to become the first in the United States to allow voters to cast ballots from their smartphones in its upcoming municipal election.

Anchorage will experiment with internet voting in local elections, betting that its ease and security will win over voters even in an era of election conspiracy theories.

The largest city in Alaska is about to undertake an experiment that feels both inevitable and impossibly futuristic in an era of pervasive mistrust toward elections: allowing all voters to cast ballots from their smartphones.

A group seeking to repeal Alaska’s ranked choice voting and open primary system says it has gathered enough signatures to put the repeal question on the 2026 ballot. The group formed after the 2024 election,

Alaskans enacted the state’s existing elections system via a ballot measure in 2020, and a repeal measure last year failed by only 737 votes out of 320,985 cast. Proponents of the repeal vowed at that time to renew their effort and began gathering signatures in February to force another vote.

If adopted, Juneau would become the first major city in Alaska to adopt ranked choice voting for municipal elections.

The measure follows a September Assembly vote to update the borough's annual guide with a memorial statement honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

State Sen. Shelley Hughes said she is resigning to run for governor, days after fellow Republican Sen. Mike Shower resigned to run for lieutenant governor.

Alaska is a reliably Republican state, giving President Donald Trump double-digit victories in each of his three presidential bids. However, Democrats are eyeing its Senate race as a potential flip opportunity in the 2026 midterms, particularly if the president’s approval rating remains low next November.