VOTER REGISTRATION
Registration Deadline: Applications must be received or postmarked on or before at least 30 days prior to an election.
Party Affiliation: Alaska law allows a recognized political party to select who may participate in their party's primary. The political party affiliation listed on a voter's registration record 30 days prior to the election determines which primary ballot type a voter is eligible to vote.
Currently there are three primary ballot options:
- Alaska Democratic Party, Alaska Libertarian Party and Alaskan Independence Party Candidates with Ballot Measures ballot: any registered voter may vote this ballot.
- Alaska Republican Party Candidates with Ballot Measures ballot: only voters registered with the party affiliation of Republican, Nonpartisan or Undeclared may vote this ballot.
- Ballot Measures Only ballot: any registered voter may vote this ballot.
Voter Registration Qualifications
Age: Must be at least 18 years old or within 90 days of your 18th birthday
Citizenship: Must be a United States Citizen
Residency: Must be a resident of Alaska and of the election district for at least 30 days before election day and not be registered to vote in another state unless you are willing to cancel your registration in the other state.
Felony Convictions: not be a convicted felon involving moral turpitude, unless your voting rights have been restored. If you have been unconditionally discharged by the Department of Corrections in Alaska, you can register to vote.
ID Requirements for Voter Registration:
Online: You only need your current Alaska driver’s license or state ID.
Paper: If you have been issued a Social Security number, Alaska Driver’s
License, or Alaska State ID card, you MUST provide at least one number on Line 10
of the application. You must also send a copy of either your current driver’s license, state ID, passport or birth certificate with your paper form.
Permanent Fund Dividend Automatic Voter Registration
In 2016, Alaska voters approved Ballot Measure 1 (15PFVR). This law automatically registers eligible applicants to vote or updates voter registration information of voters who are currently registered to vote using the information provided when applying for a Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) unless the applicant opts-out.
After the March 31 PFD application deadline, the Division of Elections will send a notice to all applicants who will either become a newly registered voter or who will have their Alaska residence address updated from the information provided on their PFD application. To opt-out, applicants must respond to the notice within 30 days.
Once the 30-day deadline passes, new applicants will be registered to vote and applicants with a change to their Alaska residence address will be updated. New voter cards will be mailed to newly registered voters and to voters with a change to their Alaska residence address. In addition, the voting records for applicants with a name change or mailing address change will be updated.
For more information click on this link
OBTAINING AND RETURNING A VOTER REGISTRATION FORM
Initial registration or registration changes must be made at least 30 days prior to an election.
Online: To use the Online Voter Registration System, you must have a valid Alaska driver's license or state ID card and the information you enter when registering must match the information on your Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) record. If you do not have a valid Alaska driver's license or state ID, or your information cannot be validated, you may select to register using a paper registration form.
In person: You can register to vote in person at either Division of Election Offices or Voter Registration Agency locations
By mail/email/fax: Print a form and send completed application to Regional Elections Office
Verifying Your Voter Registration Status
Online: Alaska Voter Registration Lookup
Phone: Contact your local election offices
Absentee Ballot Qualifications
Who can vote absentee: Alaska is a no excuse absentee voting state. Anyone may vote using the early and in-person absentee voting options.
Obtaining an Absentee Ballot
In person: Most absentee early vote and in-person voting sites open 15 days before Election Day and remain open through Election Day. For locations, dates and hours, visit the Early and In-Person Voting Locations webpage.
By mail: Apply beginning January 1st of each year. Apply paperless with the Online Absentee Ballot Application, must have a valid Alaska Driver’s License or State ID to apply online. Or complete the PDF Fillable Application. Once completed, print and sign the application. Your signature must be a handwritten signature. A typed or digital signature is not valid. Send your application to the Absentee Office by mail, fax or by email as an attached PDF, TIFF or JPEG file.
Your application for a by-mail ballot must be received 10 days before Election Day.
Military and overseas voting: To register to vote overseas, you must provide an Alaskan residence address.
When completing an absentee application, you will select the status as military or overseas. You will also select how you would like to receive your ballot, by mail, fax, or online.
Ballots are mailed to active military members, spouses and dependents and U.S. citizens temporarily or permanently living overseas beginning 45 days prior to each Primary and General Election Day.
For more click on Resources for Military and Overseas Voters
Early Voting
Early voting qualifications:
Click here to find early voting places. Most early polling locations open 15 days prior to an election, times vary upon location.
VOTING ON ELECTION DAY
You will be asked for identification by the precinct register worker such as: Voter ID card, driver’s license, state ID, military ID, passport, hunting or fishing license or other current or valid photo ID.
If you do not have the one of the identifications listed above, you may present a current utility bill or paycheck, government check or bank statement or other government issued document.
More information can be provided here.
Polling Hours:
Primary, General and Statewide Special Elections: 7:00 am through 8:00 pm.
Regional Educational Attendance Area (REAA) Elections: 8:00 am through 8:00 pm.
QUESTIONED VOTING
You may be asked to vote a questioned ballot if your name is not on the precinct register, your residence address has changed, you do not have identification, in a primary election you ask for a ballot you are not eligible to receive, you already voted or an observer challenges your qualifications to vote.
For more information click on this link
Additional Information
Verifying Registration: Alaska Voter Registration Lookup
Deciding how to vote: https://votesmart.org/
Polling Place: Alaska Polling Place Finder
How to Vote: Alaska supplies detailed instructions on how to vote on election day.
Getting your vote counted: Alaska publishes the process by which votes are counted.
Problems with voting: HAVA Voter Complaint Form
Verifying absentee ballot: Click on this link
If during any ten-year period a constitutional convention has not been held, the lieutenant governor shall place on the ballot for the next general election the question: Shall there be a Constitutional Convention? If a majority of the votes cast on the question are in the negative, the question need not be placed on the ballot until the end of the next ten-year period. If a majority of the votes cast on the question are in the affirmative, delegates to the convention shall be chosen at the next regular statewide election, unless the legislature provides for the election of the delegates at a special election. The lieutenant governor shall issue the call for the convention. Unless other provisions have been made by law, the call shall conform as nearly as possible to the act calling the Alaska Constitutional Convention of 1955, including, but not limited to, number of members, districts, election and certification of delegates, and submission and ratification of revisions and ordinances. The appropriation provisions of the call shall be self-executing and shall constitute a first claim on the state treasury. [Amended 1970]
