Unalaskans can vote in the primary today at City Hall. (Annie Ropeik/KUCB)

Update, 5 p.m. Tuesday:  Voters turnout has been slow but steady today. As of just before 5 p.m., about 170 people had voted in Unalaska.

Year-round residents and visiting workers alike came out to cast their ballots. Many said the biggest issue on the ballot for them was the controversial referendum to repeal the state’s tax structure for oil companies.

Cyri Thompson has lived in Unalaska for 24 years -- most of her life. She said she only heard about the repeal vote recently, from relatives who live out of state. She read up on the ballot measure Monday night, and decided to vote yes.

"I think that we just should be able to tax them. I don’t think they should get tax breaks for the oil," she says. "I just think that it’s unfair for them to not have to pay taxes on that."

Andrew Warner agreed with her. He’s a construction worker in town for a job.

"I believe that Alaska needs its own way of taxing its natural resources," he says. "I believe that ConocoPhillips and the other oil companies seem to be pushing for [the current tax law], and I really think it’s something that ought to be left up to Alaskans to decide."

Unalaska city clerk Cat Hazen says she’s seen more non-local voters, like Warner, than she expected at the polls this year -- especially since voting away from home means they can't weigh in on the races specific to their district. But they can still vote on the statewide and federal contests, and the ballot question. Hazen says the non-local votes are sent to Nome to be counted.

Meanwhile, in Adak, voter turnout was about 40 percent as of this afternoon. That means about 30 voters, according to city manager Layton Lockett. 

Adak's in a different time zone than the rest of the state, so they'll be the last Alaskans to vote. Lockett says that's "more fun" in presidential election years -- but that it's still an honor on days like this.

In Unalaska, Hazen, the city clerk, is expecting an evening rush to finish out the primary day. Results will start to come in after polls close at 8 p.m.

Update, 12 p.m. Tuesday: Polls are open today in Unalaska. August primaries don’t always bring out a lot of voters -- but today’s statewide election covers a couple of hot-button races.

The big ones are the U.S. Senate primary for the seat currently held by Mark Begich, and the referendum to repeal the state’s tax break system for oil producers.

That's a complicated proposal: a ‘yes’ vote would reject the current oil tax structure, while a ‘no’ vote would leave it intact.

A couple of locals who voted this morning said they were voting yes to repeal the tax. Tammy Pound, a former school board member and longtime resident, was one of them.

"The resources belong to the state of Alaska, the citizens, and not the oil companies," she said. "And we need funding for essential services -- we need funding for education, we need to fund those things."

Pound was one of about 50 people who voted this morning. During the last primary election in 2012, about 200 voters cast their ballots in Unalaska.

Besides a handful of close contests, this year's primary includes less competitive races for governor and lieutenant governor, and for Don Young's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In the state legislature, Unalaska's delegates are both running unopposed. Redistricting in the House will bring Rep. Bryce Edgmon back as the Aleutians’ representative this year, and send Unalaska’s current Rep. Bob Herron to the Lower Kuskokwim area. Meanwhile, Sen. Lyman Hoffman is set to keep the office he has held for 20 years. 

Registered voters can cast their ballots at Unalaska City Hall. A government-issued photo ID or other proof of residency -- like a voter ID card, driver’s license, passport, or fishing license -- is required in order to vote, and Tagalog and Spanish interpreters are available for voters who need them.

Unalaska's polls will close at 8 p.m. today.