ANCHORAGE- Alaskans for Better Elections encourages all Alaskan voters to make a plan for the upcoming general election to make sure that their voice is heard. House Districts and polling locations may have changed due to redistricting but voters can use the polling place locator to find current information. One of the best ways for voters to prepare for Election Day is to review a sample ballot and familiarize oneself with the candidates and ballot measures.
On Monday, October 24, 2022, Absentee in Person voting locations will open statewide. The regional offices have all ballots for all 40 House Districts, but most absentee locations have only the ballot for that House District. Voters should confirm that the location they choose has their ballot available.
Voters can request an absentee by mail ballot. Their request must be received by October 29, 2022. If voters request a ballot by mail, it is essential to remember that the ballot envelope must be signed, a friend needs to sign it too, and the voter needs to provide an identifier (voter no., AK driver’s license no., date of birth, or last 4 of social security number). The ballot envelope must be postmarked by November 8, 2022. If returning the ballot envelope from rural Alaska, voters are encouraged to request a postal worker to hand cancel their stamp.
Absentee by-mail ballots can be returned through the U.S. Postal Service, and they require 84 cents worth of postage or about 2 first-class stamps. If returned without sufficient postage, the U.S. xPostal Service will still deliver the ballot return envelope to the Division of Elections. Voters can also return the ballot to a regional office, an early voting location, or a polling location on Election Day.
Alaska’s Election System provides voters the opportunity to vote for their 1st choice and show preference amongst the remaining candidates by ranking them as 2nd choice, 3rd choice, etc. Ranking a 2nd or 3rd choice does not hurt your 1st-choice candidate’s chance of winning, but only serves as a backup if your 1st choice is eliminated.
Voters should fill in one oval for each row and one oval for each column. If voters skip a ranking, their next ranking moves up. You do not have to rank all the candidates. Your 2nd choice is counted only if your 1st choice is eliminated.
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