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Registering to Vote and Voting
Absentee Voting
Overseas and Military Voter Information
Statistics
Elected Officials
Candidates
Primary and General Elections
Election Results
Petition Processes
District Maps - Boundary Lines
Campaign Disclosure - Financial Disclosure Statements
City and Borough Elections
Become a Registrar/Poll Worker

Registering To Vote and Voting

How do I register to vote?

You can register to vote in Alaska by completing a Voter Registration Application and presenting it in person to the Division of Elections, a voter registrar in your community, a city or borough clerk, or a voter registration agency (DMV, Health and Social Services, Community and Economic Development, recruitment offices of the armed forces of the United States located in Alaska). You may also simply mail it to a Division of Elections office.

• Voter Qualification Information
• Voter Registration Application
  Filipino (Tagalog) Version:
• Aplikasyon ng Taong Lumiban sa Pamamagitan ng Koreo sa Estado ng Alaska

I moved and need to update my voter registration record. How do I do that?
You can change your registration record on the same form that is used for an original registration. See the previous question for more information.

What is the deadline for registering to vote in an election?
30 days before an election. One exception is for an Incorporation Election: a voter must be registered 30 days before the Director of Elections signs the Order and Notice of Election.

How long do I have to live in Alaska to register to vote?
If you are in Alaska, you can register to vote as soon as you arrive as long as you intend to remain here and have the intent to return when you leave. However, you cannot vote for state or local candidates or issues until you have been registered for 30 days.

If you are registering by mail from outside Alaska, you must provide proof of Alaska residency (for example, a current Alaska driver's license, fish and game license, military leave and earnings statement that identifies Alaska as the applicant's state of legal residence). The document must be in the applicant's name.

Who can vote?
A person may vote at any election who:

• is a citizen of the United States,
• is 18 years of age or older,
• has been a resident of the state and of the election district in which the person seeks to vote for at least 30 days just before the election,
• has registered before the election registration deadline, and
• is not registered to vote in another jurisdiction.

How do I become an Alaska resident?
You ARE a resident for voting purposes if you are in Alaska with the intent to remain here and have the intent to return when you leave, and are not registered to vote in another state or are willing to cancel that registration. This DOES NOT mean that you meet residency requirements for other state agencies and programs. Other agencies or organizations can have different criteria to define Alaska residency.

I am an Alaska resident temporarily living in another state. My spouse has never lived in Alaska. Is my spouse a resident because I am? Can my spouse register to vote in Alaska?
The answer to both questions is, no. An Alaska resident's spouse or child must establish residency in Alaska on their own. If a person has never been in Alaska, residency cannot be claimed.

I was convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude, but have served my time and am on probation. Can I register to vote?
No. A convicted felon may not register to vote unless unconditionally discharged from custody. When you are no longer on probation, a copy of your discharge papers will allow you to register.

Can I register to vote before I am 18?
You can register 90 days before you turn 18, but you must be eighteen on election day or before in order to vote.

Do I have to register to vote to receive a Permanent Fund Dividend?
No, but being registered to vote helps establish Alaska residency.

What is my district and precinct number?
The numbers are shown on your voter ID card; district number followed by your precinct number.

What is my voter number?
This is a unique number assigned only to you and can be found on your voter ID card.

I can't remember when I first registered to vote.
Contact the regional election office in your area and they can research your voter record.

I have a Power of Attorney for my wife. Can I register or vote for her?
Yes. Registration may be made in person before a registration official or through a voter registration agency by another individual on behalf of the voter if the voter has executed a written power of attorney specifically authorizing that other individual to register the voter. The individual with power of attorney may also apply to vote absentee on behalf of the voter. The individual with the Power of Attorney will be required to submit the following documentation:

• A copy of his or her identification
• A copy of the Power of Attorney authorizing the individual to act on your behalf for voter registration purposes.

Is my voter record confidential?
Portions of your voter record are confidential: voter number, social security number, date of birth, place of birth, phone numbers and residence address, if you choose to keep that confidential.

Do you have a record of my party preference?
Yes. It is public information and is printed on all voter lists.

What are your definitions of "undeclared," " non-partisan," and "other" on the voter registration application?
A person whose party affiliation is "undeclared" may be associated with a political party, but does not care to declare which one.

A person whose party affiliation is "non-partisan" doesn't have preferences for one party or another.

A person who has marked "other" as their party affiliation, is associated with a party that is not a recognized political party in the State of Alaska.

When are voter identification cards mailed?
Voter ID cards are mailed when voters initially register to vote and when voters update their voter registration. Voter cards are mailed out twice a month, generally around the 3rd and 15th of the each month.

Where do I vote?
Polling places are set up for each voting precinct. Your precinct name and number appear on your voter ID card.

What type of identification do I need at the polling place?
Your signed voter ID card, or any other signed ID that will allow the election worker to verify your signature. Examples are: driver's license, state identification card, current and valid photo identification, birth certificate, passport, or hunting or fishing license.

I need help when I vote. What are my options?
In addition to bilingual assistance in many polling places, the Division of Elections has a TTY communication device for voters with hearing impairments, magnifying ballot viewers will be at the polling places as well as the absentee voting sites and audio recordings of the General Election Official Election Pamphlet for voters with visual impairments, and accessible polling places. In addition to touch screen machines we'll offer magnified high-contrast and audio ballots.

You may bring someone to help you at the polls. The person you bring may go into the booth with you and assist you with voting. This includes election officials, friends, family members, bystanders, campaign workers and anyone else who is not your employer, an agent of your employer, or officer or agent of your union.

If you had planned on going to your polling place on election day but become ill or are homebound, you can vote by having a personal representative bring you a ballot. If this is inconvenient, you can apply up to ten days before an election for an absentee ballot to be mailed to you.

If your specific type of special services needed are not covered here, please contact an elections office for assistance.

My polling place is in a church and I am not comfortable going there because of my personal convictions. How can I vote?
The Division of Elections strives to enlist polling places that are centrally located, accessible for people with disabilities, and equally convenient to the voters in each precinct. At times, a church is the only building that meets the criteria.

If you are in a town with more than one precinct, you can vote a questioned ballot at any precinct IN YOUR DISTRICT and still have your vote count in full. You can also vote absentee by mail.

If your town has only one precinct/polling place, you can vote absentee by mail and have a ballot mailed to your home address.

Click here for a list of absentee voting locations that may be in your area where you can vote absentee in-person. Click here for more absentee voting information and ballot by-mail request forms.

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Absentee Voting

I need an absentee ballot for my city election. Can you send me an application?
The Division of Elections only conducts state elections and elections for unincorporated towns or villages. Contact your city or borough office for information regarding your local elections. Click here for addresses and phone numbers of Alaska's incorporated cities and boroughs.

I am leaving town before Election Day and want to vote. How can I do that?
Click here for information about absentee voting by mail and absentee applications that can be downloaded and printed from your computer. An absentee by-mail application is valid for one calendar year.

Absentee in-person voting begins 15 days before each state-conducted election. Click here for information about absentee in-person voting.

For Primary, General and State Special Elections you can request absentee ballot application to vote by fax 15 days before an election, up to 5:00 p.m. the day before an election. Call (907) 375-6400, Toll Free (877) 375-6508 or email the Absentee Voting Office for a fax ballot application. Your ballot must be faxed back by 8:00 p.m. Alaska Time on Election Day, or postmarked and mailed by Election Day.

I am no longer in the State of Alaska because ... I'm in the military and have been transferred out - OR - I'm attending college - OR - I'm in a medical facility ... and I wish to maintain my Alaska residency and vote in Alaska. How can I do this?
To remain registered in Alaska, you must be an Alaska resident with the intent to return to Alaska whenever you leave. Your voter registration record must show your Alaska residence address. If you are temporarily outside Alaska, you may maintain your Alaska residence address as it appears on your current registration record, and provide us with your new out-of-state mailing address to keep our records current.

To vote, see the absentee information in the previous question.

I received my absentee ballot by mail as I requested, but my plans have changed and I will be home on Election Day and want to vote at my polling place. What should I do with my by-mail ballot?
Destroy the by-mail ballot then vote in person at your polling place. Do not mail the by-mail ballot back to the Division of Elections or give it to anyone else. Ballots are issued to a specific voter. Ballot envelopes that are received in the Division are recorded on the voter's record with the assumption that the person has enclosed their voted ballot. If you mail your ballot and then vote at the polling place, it will be recorded that you have voted more than once, which is a felony.

Will absentee ballots be sent to me automatically if I move out of the state?
No. Since the Division doesn't know your intentions as to where you will be on Election Day from year to year, the Division can't assume that you will want an absentee by-mail ballot mailed to the address provided for the prior election. Each voter must apply for ballots on an annual basis.

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Overseas and Military Voter Information

What does the federal UOCAVA acronym mean?
Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. In 1986, Congress updated and consolidated the provisions of the 1955 Act and the Overseas Citizens Voting Rights Act of 1974 into the UOCAVA. It requires that states and territories allow members of the U.S. Uniformed Services, their family members, and U.S. citizens residing abroad to register and vote absentee in elections for Federal offices.

And "uniformed services and overseas citizens" means ... ?
Uniformed Services: Uniformed Services are defined as the U.S. Armed Forces (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines and Navy), merchant marine, commissioned corps of the Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Overseas Citizens: U.S. citizens who reside outside the United States

How do I register to vote from overseas or a military facility?
Click here for voter qualification information and a Voter Registration Application that can be printed from your computer.

The completed form can be mailed or faxed to the Absentee Voting Office

Click here for answers to more questions about registering to vote in Alaska.

How do I vote absentee from overseas or a military facility?
For information on voting from overseas please contact the Absentee Voting Office at 619 Ship Creek Ave., Ste. 329, Anchorage, AK 99501-1677; phone (907) 375-6400; fax (907) 375-6480; or via email to akabsentee@alaska.gov.

Click here for answers to more questions about absentee voting in Alaska.

Do you have other information for overseas or uniformed services voters?
Check out the web site for the Federal Voting Assistance Program.

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Statistics

What was the voter turnout in past elections?
Click here for General Elections statistics since statehood. Click here for Primary Elections voter turnout statistics since 1974.

How is voter turnout calculated?
The number of voters that voted is divided by the number of registered voters to reach the turnout percentage.

How many registered voters are there in my community?
Click here for a list of the number of registered voters by party, broken down by precinct, with subtotals for each district and region, and a statewide total at the end.

Where can I find voter history statistics?
Click here for the voter history statistics by age, sex and party.

How can I get a voter list?
Any regional elections office can get a voter list printed for you. There is a charge for the list, payable in advance. Lists are requested for printing once each week. Contact the regional election office in your area for details. Click here for other information and reports that are available.

Statewide voter lists are available on compact disc through the Director's Office.

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Elected Officials

Who are my legislators?
Click here and you can locate your community on the list for a link to your legislators' names, addresses, phone numbers, committee assignments and a biography. Or click here if you know which district you are in.

How many legislators are Republicans and how many are Democrats?
There are 10 Republicans and 10 Democrats serving in the State Senate after the 2008 General Election.

There are 22 Republicans and 18 Democrats serving in the State House of Representatives after the 2008 General Election.

Click here for more information about the Alaska State Legislature.

Who is Alaska's Secretary of State?
Alaska has a Lieutenant Governor who serves in the same capacity as a Secretary of State. Our Lt. Governor is Craig E. Campbell.

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Candidates

How do I file for office?
If you are filing as a candidate representing a recognized political party (Alaska Democratic Party, Alaskan Independence Party, Alaska Libertarian Party, or Alaska Republican Party), file a Declaration of Candidacy form and a Financial Disclosure Statement.

Candidates representing political groups that are not recognized in Alaska file a nominating petition with a specified number of signatures of registered voters, an acceptance of nomination form, and a Financial Disclosure Statement.

Candidates representing a recognized political party participate in the Primary Election. The successful candidate for each political party in each race move on to the general election. Candidates representing political groups that are not recognized in Alaska participate only in the general election and will not appear on the primary election ballot.

Contact any Division of Elections office for a printed copy of our "Filing For Office Handbook" which contains pertinent election laws and filing forms. Or, view the Handbook online.

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Primary and General Elections

What are the dates for the next Primary and General Elections?
Tuesday, August 24, 2010 - Primary Election
Tuesday, November 2, 2010 - General Election
1 US Senator, 1 US Representative, Governor, Lt. Governor, 10 State Senators, and 40 State Representatives.

When does my polling place open? When does it close?
The polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. for Primary and General Elections.

For REAA and CRSA elections, the polls are open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Contact your local government office for the times for local city and borough elections.

Do the Governor and Lt. Governor run on separate tickets in the Primary Election?
Yes. The winners from each party are then paired up as a team in the General Election.

What type of Primary Election does the State of Alaska conduct?
The state in 2001 switched from a blanket primary -- where all candidates are on a single ballot -- to allowing political parties to choose whether they want a closed primary, an open primary or something in between. The new law required each political party to have its own ballot on which only its candidates could appear. A voter had to choose one ballot out of all those available.

For the 2008 Primary Election, there were three ballots to choose from: an A-D-L ballot, Republican Party ballot, and Measures Only (MO) ballot.

The A-D-L ballot had Alaska Democrat, Alaska Libertarian, and Alaskan Independence party candidates. The A-D-L ballot was available to all registered voters.

The Republican ballot had only Republican candidates and was only open to registered Republicans or voters who were registered nonpartisan or undeclared. Both the A-D-L and Republican ballots also had the four primary ballot measures.

The MO ballot was available to all voters. This just had the ballot measures and no candidates. Anyone could vote the MO ballot, if he or she didn't want to vote for candidates.

Who pays for the Primary and General Elections?
All elections conducted by the Division of Elections are included in the budget of the Division as provided for by the Legislature.

I have questions regarding political parties. How can I contact a political party in Alaska?
Recognized Political Parties in Alaska are the Alaska Democratic Party, Alaska Libertarian Party, Alaska Republican Party, and the Alaskan Independence Party. Click here for contact phone numbers.

Who chooses poll workers?
The Division of Elections has four regional offices, each headed up by an Election Supervisor. The Election Supervisors appoint workers for the districts in their region.

If you are interested in working at the polls on election day, contact the Election Supervisor responsible for your district. Your district number is on your voter ID card.

If you are in House Districts 1-5, or 33-36, contact the Region I Supervisor in Juneau at (907) 465-3021.

If you are in House Districts 13-32, contact the Region II Supervisor in Anchorage at (907) 522-8683.

If you are in House Districts 6-12, contact the Region III Supervisor in Fairbanks at (907) 451-2835.

If you are in House Districts 37-40, contact the Region IV Supervisor in Nome at (907) 443-5285.

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Election Results

How do I get election results?
Primary and General Election results are posted on our homepage on election night as the ballots are counted and after subsequent counts of absentee and questioned ballots. To get a detailed printed copy after the election has been certified, contact your regional election office.

Election results for REAA, CRSA and other local option elections in unincorporated areas that are conducted by the State Division of Elections will be on the home page under the Election Results section.

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Petition Processes

I am not a legislator. How can I get a law passed?
Through the initiative petition process.

How do I start a petition?
The petition process is for individuals who are interested in circulating petitions to initiate legislation, recall elected officials, or call for a referendum.

The petition process requires the initial submission of an application. If the application is certified, petition booklets are issued by the Division of Elections and signatures may be gathered by approved petition sponsors. Here are a couple of links that should be helpful:

• An overview of initiatives, referendum and recall petitions and how to submit applications.
• The status of initiative petitions that have been started.

Where can I find out who the sponsors are of initiative petitions?
Contact the Lt. Governor's office at (907) 465-3520 or the Division of Elections at (907) 465-4611.

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District Maps - Boundary Lines

Where can I get a description of district boundaries?
District boundaries, as designed by the Governor's Reapportionment Board in 2002, are described in the Alaska Constitution which is printed by the Lt. Governor's office. Click here for Article XIV of the Alaska Constitution which contains district boundary descriptions.

• View & Download district maps >

How can I get a district or statewide map?
Each Elections Office has district maps or a statewide map.

If a more detailed, colored map or a full size wall map is needed, contact:

In Juneau: Dept. of Natural Resources in Juneau, Public Information Office, 400 Willoughby Avenue, 4th Floor, Juneau, AK 99801 - (907) 465-3400.

In Anchorage: Dept. of Natural Resources, Public Information Office, Robert Atwood Buildilng, 550 W. 7th Ave, Suite 1260, Anchorage, AK 99501 - (907) 269-8400.

In Fairbanks: Dept. of Natural Resources, Public Information Office, 3700 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK 99709-4699 - (907) 451-2705

Other maps can be special ordered through the Director's Office.

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Campaign Disclosures - Financial Disclosure Statements

Who is responsible for campaign finance laws and regulations?
The Alaska Public Offices Commission is responsible for Financial Disclosure Statements for public officials, campaign disclosure, legislative ethics financial disclosure, and lobbying laws.

Their main office is in Anchorage: (907) 276-4176 or (800) 478-4176.

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City and Borough Elections

What's on the ballot for my city/borough election?
City and borough elections are normally to elect a mayor, assembly members and school board members. They may also have various issues to bring before the voters. To find out more information on the city or borough election in your area, click here for the address and phone number.

I need an absentee ballot for my city election. Can you send me an application?
The Division of Elections only conducts state elections and elections for unincorporated towns or villages. You need to contact your city or borough office for information regarding your local elections. Click here for addresses and phone numbers of Alaska's incorporated cities and boroughs. For more information, contact the Alaska Municipal League at (907) 586-1325.

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Become an Election Worker

How do I become a Registrar?
Registrars assist Alaskan residents in registering to vote for the first time, reregistering when their voter registration in Alaska has been cancelled, and updating their existing voter information. As a registration official, you will be helping Alaskans exercise their right to vote. Your dedication to our system of democracy will encourage others in their communities to get involved and make a difference. If you are interested in becoming a registrar, please contact the Division of Elections regional office in your area.

Click here for the Official Registrar Handbook.

How do I become a Poll Worker?
Your community needs more people like you to work at the polls on Election Day. In fact, Alaska must recruit and train hundreds of poll workers in communities across the state every election year. You just need to be a resident of Alaska who is also registered to vote in Alaska. Select the region that you are registered in to sign up to become a Poll Worker:

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