Register to vote – your voice matters!
Register to vote – your voice matters!This is a big election year in Alaska, with multiple state ballot measures, a U.S. Senate seat, a U.S. House seat and most of the Alaska Legislature up for election. On Nov. 3, the nation will also vote to elect the next U.S. president.
Now is the time to register to vote! Alaskans may register to vote or update any outdated voter registration information at voterregistration.alaska.gov. In Alaska, the general election voter registration deadline is Sunday, Oct. 3.
Why vote?
There are as many reasons to vote as there are voters. Our government relies on citizen participation, and voting is both a right and a responsibility. Whether you vote or not, a candidate will be elected – and that person will make decisions that will affect you and this country for years to come.
The organization Nonprofit VOTE offers these reasons cast your ballot:
- Every vote counts
Remember: there is power in numbers. When we vote and encourage our family members to vote, we can impact outcomes and change the debate. Many elections are decided by fewer than 100 votes.
- Don’t let others decide for you
If you don’t vote, you’re letting others decide who wins and what issues matter. Today’s non-voters actually favor government and social services (like access to health care, spending on education, income inequality or public safety) at a much higher rate than people who vote regularly.
- Honor our history and the right to vote
Voting is one of our most important right as citizens. As long as this country has existed, communities like ours have had to fight for the right to vote. There are still people today who don’t want some people to vote. It’s our turn to stand up and vote to preserve this right the honor of those who went before us.
According to Get Out the Alaska Native Vote, Alaska Native/American Indian (AN/AI) peoples constitute approximately 15% of the statewide adult population. If all AN/AI peoples voted during a normal turnout year – in which 55% of non-Native individuals voted – approximately 25% of those at the polls would be AN/AI peoples. This voting bloc could be more powerful than the Republican vote, the Democratic vote and the nonpartisan vote combined.
Alaskans May Now Apply Online to Vote by Mail
Alaskans may now apply online for absentee ballots, making it easier to vote by mail in the 2020 primary election (Tuesday, Aug. 18) and general election. Anyone with a valid Alaska driver’s license/ID card may utilize the Online Absentee Ballot Application system, provided the information entered when applying matches the information on the Division of Motor Vehicles record.
In Alaska, applications for by-mail ballots must be received 10 days before Election Day. Registered voters 65 years of age and older will automatically receive paper absentee ballot applications. Alaskans who wish to vote in person may still do so; most in-person voting locations will open 15 days prior to each Election Day and remain open through Election Day.
To apply online for an absentee ballot, visit absenteeballotapplication.alaska.gov.
