Alaskans voter registration deadline Sunday for Aug. 16 elections

JUNEAU, Alaska (KTUU) - Alaskans will need to have their voter registration information up to date by Sunday in order to vote in the special general election for the U.S. House of Representatives and the state’s regular primary elections, both of which are scheduled for Aug. 16.

Gail Fenumiai, director of the Alaska Division of Elections, is encouraging Alaskans to familiarize themselves with the two-sided sample ballots recently posted online. One side has the list of primary candidates for the U.S. Senate and House, the governor’s race, as well as state House and Senate.

“It’s a pick-one primary,” Fenumiai explained. “So only vote for one candidate in the primary, just like you always have done before.”

The three candidates for the special general election to fill Alaska’s vacant seat in the U.S. House are listed on the other side of the ballot along with a space for one write-in option. It’s here that Alaskans will use ranked choice voting for the first time.

“You can rank your candidates in order of preference,” Fenumiai said. “You can rank one, you can rank ‘em all. It’s totally up to the voter to decide what to do.”

She explained that it’s important that only one oval is filled out in each column. If more than one oval is filled out, the ballot may not be counted.

Alaskans can register to vote online, print their own forms and send them in, or register to vote in person. Fenumiai recommended not waiting until the last minute to register or update voters’ information.

For Alaskans who miss the deadline to vote on Aug. 16, there is still time to register to vote for the Nov. 8 general election. The deadline to register for that election is Oct. 9.

On July 13, the division will send out new voter identification cards to registered Alaska voters. They will list new House districts and precincts due to redistricting, and the voter’s polling location.

Alaskans can vote by-mail for any reason. Voters need to request those ballots by Aug. 6 to vote in the Aug. 16 elections.

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