(The Center Square) - Alaska's Division of Elections began mailing ballots Wednesday for the June 11 special election to fill the seat of late U.S. Rep. Don Young, who passed away in March.

The election will be conducted by mail and is the first to test Alaska's new rank-choice voting system passed by the voters in a 2020 referendum.

The top four candidates out of the 48 who qualified will advance to a special primary election scheduled for August 16.

Two familiar names are on the ballot. Former governor and vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin is among the 17 Republican candidates on the ballot.

Palin is endorsed by former President Donald Trump but not by the Alaska Republican Party. That endorsement went to Nick Begich III at their convention last weekend, according to a Twitter post on his campaign page.

Palin said the endorsement was planned in advance.

"This predictable action of the Party establishment proves that the old boys' network is alive and well in Alaska, but the only endorsement that matters is the one from the Alaskan people on June 11," she said in a statement on her website.

The ballot also includes five Democrats and three Libertarians. The remaining candidates do not have a major party affiliation, including a familiar name.

Santa Claus his legal name hopes to make it to the August primary. He is currently Mayor Pro Tem of the City ofNorth Pole, Alaska.

Claus calls himself "an independent, progressive, democratic socialist, with an affinity for Bernie Sanders, and aim to represent all Alaskans."

Before he changed his name and moved to the North Pole, Claus was a special assistant to the New York City's deputy police commissioner. Claus said on hiswebsitethat he is not accepting gifts from his supporters.

The winner of the August special election would serve out the remainder of Young's term, which ends in January. Young's post is on the November ballot, and the winner of that election will take office in January.

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Ballots in the mail for Alaska's special election with familiar names - The Center Square