Voting is for Everybody

If you are at least 18 years old, you can vote!  To find out where to vote, visit the Division of Elections website at the following link:  https://www.elections.alaska.gov

Why is voting important?

Voting is the way you can tell politicians your opinion.  Your opinion matters and your vote can help to shape your community, state and nation. 

Voting helps to decide things like:

• How many buses are available to ride;
• How many libraries there are and when they're open;
• How clean the air and water will be;
• What kinds of benefits are available (public assistance, food stamps, health care, Social Security, etc.);
• Who has the right to work and how employees should be treated.
   

Voting Rights:

• You can vote by yourself, or with help from a friend, family member, or even someone that works at the place where you go to vote. 
• Even if you have a Guardian, Payee, or Conservator, you have the right to vote unless a judge has specifically taken that right away.
• You have the right to vote however you want.  This means that nobody is allowed to tell you who or what to vote for or against.  It's your choice.
• Registration and voting are both free to everybody.
• If you cannot make it to the polling place on voting day, it's ok for someone to bring you a ballot and then turn it in for you.
• Every effort is made to ensure polling places are accessible to all Alaskans – this may mean temporary modifications to the building.
• In Federal elections, you can request to use magnifying viewers and touch screen voting units with magnified text, high contrast, and audio ballots.

What if someone violates my voting rights?

Your right to vote as a person with a disability is protected under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act of 1984, certain Alaska statutes, and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). These laws protect:

• Right of access/Right to accommodations
• Physical space: ramps, doors, doorways, tables, booths
• Voting machines for voters experiencing visual impairment, etc.
• Right to vote independently, privately, and confidentially
• Right to have assistance with voting, if desired

You can file a complaint if you have problems related to voting accessibility by calling the Division of Elections at 1-888-465-5857. There is a written complaint process to follow that they can give you information about. You can also contact the Disability Law Center of Alaska at 1-800-478-1234. It's important to reach out as soon as possible, so the violation may be corrected before the polls close, 

I want to vote.  How do I get started?

• To vote in any election, you must first be registered to vote.
• You can find more information on registering to vote by visiting the Alaska Division of Elections website.

What's new with voting in Alaska in 2022?

Starting in 2022, Alaskans are voting in new ways. For state and federal elections we will now have a nonpartisan primary to choose which candidates move on to the general election and ranked choice voting in the general election. The nonpartisan primary lets you choose one candidate regardless of their political party, to move on to the general election. Ranked choice voting lets you rank the candidates in order of preference instead of voting for just one candidate. We've put together these videos walking you through what it's like to vote in these new ways.