Election administration in Alaska

Election Information
Voter registration
Early voting
Absentee/mail-in voting
All-mail voting
Voter ID laws
State poll opening and closing times
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Election administration encompasses a state's voting policies and methods of enforcing them. These include voter identification requirements, early and absentee voting provisions, voter list maintenance methods, and more. Each state's voting policies dictate who can vote and under what conditions.

THE BASICS

Alaska has online voter registration.

Alaska permits early voting and no-excuse absentee voting.

In Alaska, polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Alaska Time.

Alaska requires non-photo identification in order to vote.

In Alaska, parties determine who may vote in their primary elections. The Alaska Democratic Party, Alaska Libertarian Party, and Alaskan Independence Party allow any registered voters to participate in their primaries. The Alaska Republican Party allows only registered Republicans, nonpartisan voters, or undeclared voters.

Alaska has tools for verifying voter registration and checking the status of absentee ballots.

Below, you will find details on the following election administration topics in Alaska:

• Poll times
• Voter registration
• Early and absentee/mail-in voting policy
• Voter identification requirements
• Provisional ballot rules
• Primary election type
• Time off work for voting
• Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

• Voter list maintenance
• Post-election auditing
• Election policy ballot measures
• Election policy legislation
• Ballot access
• Redistricting
• Election administration agencies

Poll times

See also: State poll opening and closing times

In Alaska, all polling places are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Alaska Time. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote. Alaska is divided between the Alaska time zone and the Hawaii-Aleutian time zone.

Voter registration

Check your voter registration status here.

To register to vote in Alaska, each applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of Alaska, and at least 18 years of age or within 90 days of his or her 18th birthday. An individual convicted of a felony involving moral turpitude may not register to vote until his or her voting rights have been restored. If registered to vote in another state, applicants must be willing to cancel that registration in order to vote in Alaska. To vote in Alaska, registered voters must be at least 18 years old and have been a resident of the state and election district for at least 30 days.

Prospective voters can register online, with a paper form, or in person at a Division of Elections Office or a voter registration agency. The deadline to register is 30 days before an election.

If submitting an application form by mail, fax, or email, the applicant must provide one of the following forms of identification either with his or her application or when voting for the first time:

“

Current and valid photo identification Driver’s license Passport State identification card Birth certificate.

”

Automatic registration

Alaska automatically registers eligible individuals to vote when they apply for a Permanent Fund Dividend.

Online registration

See also: Online voter registration

Alaska has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

Same-day registration

Alaska allows same-day voter registration in presidential election years, but voters who do so can vote only for the offices of president and vice president.

Residency requirements

Alaska law requires 30 days of residency in the state and election district before a person may vote.

Verification of citizenship

See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

Alaska does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration.

Verifying your registration

The site My Voter Registration, run by the Alaska Department of Elections, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

Early and absentee voting policy

Early voting

See also: Early voting

Alaska permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

Absentee voting

See also: Absentee voting

All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Alaska. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.

If a voter is already registered to vote, an absentee ballot application must be received by elections officials at least 10 days prior to the election. If a voter has not yet registered to vote, or needs to update voter registration information, an absentee ballot application must be received at least 30 days before the election.

Returning absentee ballots

See also: Mail ballot collection and return laws by state

Alaska voters can return their absentee ballots by mail. Ballots must be postmarked on or before election day. Except during a recount, ballots received by mail after the close of business on the 10th day after the election will not be counted. Alaska permits voters to designate another person to return their absentee ballot for them.

Signature requirements and cure provisions

In Alaska, absentee ballots will not be counted if they do not contain both 1) the voter’s handwritten signature and 2) the signature of a witness over the age of 18 or an official qualified to administer oaths. The signatures must also be dated.

Alaska does not have a cure provision, or a law providing for a process where election officials follow up with voters whose absentee ballots contain a signature discrepancy or lack the requisite signatures.

Alaska law states the following:

“

Upon receipt of an absentee ballot by mail, the voter, in the presence of a notary public, commissioned officer of the armed forces including the National Guard, district judge or magistrate, United States postal official, registration official, or other person qualified to administer oaths, may proceed to mark the ballot in secret, to place the ballot in the secrecy sleeve, to place the secrecy sleeve in the envelope provided, and to sign the voter’s certificate on the envelope in the presence of an official listed in this subsection who shall sign as attesting official and shall date the signature. If none of the officials listed in this subsection is reasonably accessible, an absentee voter shall sign the voter’s certificate in the presence of an individual who is 18 years of age or older, who shall sign as a witness and attest to the date on which the voter signed the certificate in the individual’s presence, and, in addition, the voter shall certify, as prescribed in AS 09.63.020, under penalty of perjury, that the statements in the voter’s certification are true.

”

Was your absentee ballot counted?

Voters can use the My Voter Information website provided by the Alaska Division of Elections to check the status of their absentee application and ballot as well as their voter registration status and polling place location.

Voter identification requirements

See also: Voter ID in Alaska

See also: Voter identification laws by state

Alaska requires voters to present non-photo identification while voting.

The following were accepted forms of identification as of March 2023. Click here for the Alaska Division of Elections' page on accepted ID to ensure you have the most current information.

• Voter ID card
• Driver’s license
• State ID
• Other photo ID
• Passport
• Hunting or fishing license
• 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. These documents must have your current residence address.

Background

As of August 2023, 34 states required voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these states, 23 required voters to present identification containing a photograph, and 11 accepted other forms of identification. The remaining 16 states did not require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Valid forms of identification differ by state. Commonly accepted forms include driver's licenses, state-issued identification cards, and military identification cards.

Provisional balloting for voters without ID

Voters who do not have ID while voting may cast questioned ballots, also known as provisional ballots. See below for provisional ballot rules.

Provisional ballot rules

Alaska refers to provisional ballots as questioned ballots. Voters in Alaska are given questioned ballots, or ballots requiring additional steps or information before they can be counted, under the following circumstances.

(1) The individual's name does not appear on the precinct registration list.

(2) The individual's address has changed.

(3) The individual does not present required identification.

(4) The individual requests a primary election ballot they are not eligible to receive.

(5) The individual already voted.

(6) An observer challenges the individual's qualifications to vote.

Voters are given a questioned ballot envelope on which to include information along with their voted questioned ballot. A review board then determines, based on the information provided, whether the ballot is counted. The voter will receive a letter informing them if their ballot was rejected or partially counted.

Local election officials

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Do you need information about elections in your area? Are you looking for your local election official? Click here to visit the U.S. Vote Foundation and use their election official lookup tool.

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Primary election type

See also: Primary elections in Alaska

Alaska uses a top-four primary for congressional and state-level offices. Under Alaska's top-four primary system, all candidates for a given office run in a single primary election. The top four vote-getters, regardless of partisan affiliation, then advance to the general election.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

Time off work for voting

In Alaska, employers commit an offense unless they satisfy specific requirements for allowing time off work to vote:

“

(a) An employer commits the offense of refusal to allow employees time off if the employer refuses to allow an employee time off for the purpose of voting, or if, after allowing the time off, the employer deducts the time from the wages of the employee, except as provided in (b) of this section. (b) An employee who has two consecutive hours in which to vote, either between the opening of the polls and the beginning of the employee’s regular working shift, or between the end of that regular working shift and the close of the polls, is considered to have sufficient time outside of working hours within which to vote. (c) Refusal to allow employees time off to vote is a violation.

”

As of 2020, 28 states had laws requiring employers to provide time off for voting under certain conditions.

Voting rules for people convicted of a felony

See also: Voting rights for convicted felons

In Alaska, voting rights for people convicted of a felony "involving moral turpitude" are restored automatically upon completion of their sentence, including parole or probation.

According to state law, "A person convicted of a crime that constitutes a felony involving moral turpitude under state or federal law may not vote in a state, federal, or municipal election from the date of the conviction through the date of the unconditional discharge of the person. Upon the unconditional discharge, the person may register under AS 15.07."

People convicted of a felony who have served their sentence to completion must submit proof of their unconditional discharge to the Division of Elections so that they may register to vote.

Voting rights for people convicted of a felony vary from state to state. In the majority of states, people convicted of a felony cannot vote while they are incarcerated but may regain the right to vote upon release from prison or at some point thereafter.

Voter list maintenance

All states have rules under which they maintain voter rolls—or, check and remove certain names from their lists of registered voters. Most states are subject to the parameters set by The National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). The NVRA requires states to make efforts to remove deceased individuals and individuals who have become ineligible due to a change of address. It prohibits removing registrants from voter lists within 90 days of a federal election due to change of address unless a registrant has requested to be removed, or from removing people from voter lists solely because they have not voted. The NVRA says that states may remove names from their registration lists under certain other circumstances and that their methods for removing names must be uniform and nondiscriminatory.

When names can be removed from the voter list

The state Director of Elections will remove from the voter list individuals who:

• are deceased,
• have not voted in the two general elections following the inactivation of their registration unless they contact the Division of Elections, or
• have been convicted of certain felony offenses.

Inactive voter list rules

Alaska law requires the state Director of Elections to review the official voter registration list no less than once per year. The Director is to send a notice requesting confirmation of address to each voter:

• whose mail from the Division of Elections has been returned to sender within the past two years,
• who has not contacted the Division within the past two years, or
• who has not voted in the two general elections preceding the review of the registration list.

If a voter on the official voter registration list has not contacted the Division within the past four years and has not voted in an election within the past four years, and a notice requesting confirmation of address has been returned as undeliverable, the Division is to send a notice to the voter’s last known address that their registration will be inactivated unless they respond within 45 days.

The Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)

See also: Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC)

According to its website, ERIC is a nonprofit corporation that is governed by a board of member-states. These member states submit voter registration and motor vehicle registration information to ERIC. ERIC uses this information, as well as Social Security death records, to provide member states with detailed reports showing voters who have moved within their state, moved out of their state, died, have duplicate registrations in their state, or are potentially eligible to vote but are not yet registered. ERIC's website describes its funding as follows: "Each state pays annual dues, which are determined by a formula approved by the ERIC membership. The formula includes a state's citizen voting age population as a factor."

By 2022, 33 states and the District of Columbia had joined ERIC. As of August 2023, 26 states and the District of Columbia were members in the ERIC program.

As of August 2023, Alaska was a participating member in the ERIC program.

Post-election auditing

Alaska state law requires post-election audits. Local election officials, members of the Alaska State Review Board, and the state election director conduct the audit by randomly selecting "a precinct from each house district that accounts for at least 5% of ballots cast in that district." If discrepancies of more than 1 percent are found, the state election director hand counts all the ballots from that precinct. When the counting is complete, the "director certifies in writing and publishes online any changes resulting from this count." The audit must be completed no later than 16 days after the election. https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/post-election-audits National Conference of State Legislatures, "Post-Election Audits," accessed March 1, 2023 Post-election audits check that election results tallied by a state's voting system match results from paper records, such as paper ballots filled out by voters or the paper records produced by electronic voting machines. Post-election audits are classified into two categories: audits of election results—which include traditional post-election audits as well as risk-limiting audits—and procedural audits.

Typically, traditional post-election audits are done by recounting a portion of ballots, either electronically or by hand, and comparing the results to those produced by the state's voting system. In contrast, risk-limiting audits use statistical methods to compare a random sample of votes cast to election results instead of reviewing every ballot. The scope of procedural audits varies by state, but they typically include a systematic review of voting equipment, performance of the voting system, vote totals, duties of election officials and workers, ballot chain of custody, and more.

As of December 2023, 41 states and the District of Columbia required some form of post-election audit. Of these, 36 states and the District of Columbia required traditional post-election audits, three states required risk-limiting post-election audits, and two states required procedural post-election audits.

Election policy ballot measures

See also: Elections and campaigns on the ballot and List of Alaska ballot measures

Ballotpedia has tracked the following ballot measures relating to election and campaign policy in Alaska.

1. Alaska Ballot Measure 1, Ranked-Choice Voting Initiative (August 2002)
2. Alaska Clean Elections, Measure 3 (August 2008)
3. Alaska Replacement of U.S. Senators Initiative, Measure 4 (2004)
4. Alaska Campaign Finance Reform Initiative, Measure 1 (August 2006)
5. Alaska Residence Requirement to Vote for President, SJR 1 (August 1966)
6. Alaska Votes on Constitutional Amendments, Amendment 1 (August 1974)
7. Alaska Ballot Measure 2, Top-Four Ranked-Choice Voting and Campaign Finance Laws Initiative (2020)
8. Alaska Establish Party Primary System and Eliminate Open Top-Four Primary and Ranked-Choice Voting General Election Initiative (2024)
9. Alaska Campaign Contribution Limits Initiative (2024)
10. Alaska Prohibit Use of Public Funds for Political Party Candidate Selection Initiative (2024)

Recent legislation related to election administration in Alaska

The table below lists bills related to election administration that have been introduced during (or carried over to) the current legislative session in Alaska. The following information is included for each bill:

• State
• Bill number
• Official name or caption
• Most recent action date
• Legislative status
• Topics dealt with by the bill

Bills are organized alphabetically, first by state and then by bill number. The table displays up to 100 results by default. To view additional results, use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the table. For more information about a particular bill, click the bill number. This will open a separate page with additional information.

Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker

State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.

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The Ballot Bulletin

The Ballot Bulletin is a weekly email that delivers the latest updates on election policy. The Ballot Bulletin tracks developments in election policy around the country, including legislative activity, big-picture trends, and recent news. Each email contains in-depth data from our Election Administration Legislation Tracker. You'll also be able to track relevant legislation, with links to and summaries of the bills themselves.

Click here to view recent issues and subscribe.

Ballot access

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Alaska

A cardboard ballot box at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

In order to get on the ballot in Alaska, a candidate for state or federal office must meet a variety of state-specific filing requirements and deadlines. These regulations, known as ballot access laws, determine whether a candidate or party will appear on an election ballot. These laws are set at the state level. A candidate must prepare to meet ballot access requirements well in advance of primaries, caucuses, and the general election.

There are three basic methods by which an individual may become a candidate for office in a state.

1. An individual can seek the nomination of a state-recognized political party.
2. An individual can run as an independent. Independent candidates often must petition in order to have their names printed on the general election ballot.
3. An individual can run as a write-in candidate.

This article outlines the steps that prospective candidates for state-level and congressional office must take in order to run for office in Alaska. For information about filing requirements for presidential candidates, see "Ballot access requirements for presidential candidates in Alaska." Information about filing requirements for local-level offices is not available in this article (contact state election agencies for information about local candidate filing processes).

Redistricting

See also: Redistricting in Alaska

"Gerrymandering"

Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn. Alaska's single United States Representative and 60 state legislators are elected from political divisions called districts. United States Senators are not elected by districts, but by the states at large. District lines are redrawn every 10 years following completion of the United States census. The federal government stipulates that districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.

Alaska was apportioned one seat in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2020 census, the same number it received after the 2010 census.

Alaska was apportioned one single at-large U.S. House seat, making Congressional redistricting after the 2020 census unnecessary.

Alaska completed its state legislative redistricting on May 24, 2022, when the Alaska Redistricting Board adopted a new map of state Senate districts at the direction of the state supreme court. In its ruling, the Alaska Supreme Court upheld a May 16, 2022, decision by the Third District of Alaska's Superior Court that determined that the mapping of state House districts to Senate ones was unconstitutional and ordered the Alaska Redistricting Board to adopt another proposed plan for pairing the districts. Click here to read more about litigation surrounding Alaska's legislative boundaries. These maps took effect for Alaska's 2022 legislative elections.

Alaska had initially enacted legislative district boundaries on November 10, 2021, following a 3-2 vote by the Alaska Redistricting Board. The three Republican-appointed board members voted in favor of the map and the two nonpartisan board members voted against it. On March 25, 2022, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that one state House and one state Senate district did not comply with the state constitution and required they be redrawn. The Alaska Redistricting Board adopted new legislative district boundaries to comply with the state supreme court's ruling on April 13, 2022.

Click here for more information on maps enacted after the 2020 census.

HIGHLIGHTS

Following the 2020 United States Census, Alaska was apportioned one at-large congressional district, which was unchanged from the number it had after the 2010 census.

The Alaska State Legislature comprises 20 state Senate districts, each of which contains two state House districts (for a total of 40 House districts).

Because Alaska has only one congressional district, congressional redistricting is not necessary. A non-politician commission draws state legislative district lines.

State process

See also: State-by-state redistricting procedures

Because Alaska has only one congressional district, congressional redistricting is not necessary. A non-politician commission draws state legislative district lines. In place since 1998, Alaska's redistricting commission comprises five members. Two commissioners are appointed by the governor, one by the state Senate majority leader, one by the state House majority leader, and one by the chief justice of the Alaska Supreme Court. State law mandates that commissioners "be chosen without regard to party affiliation." One commissioner must be selected from each of the state's judicial districts.

The Alaska Constitution requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and compact. Furthermore, every state legislative district must contain a "relatively integrated socio-economic area." Each state legislative district is served by one state senator and two state representatives.

Election administration agencies

Election agencies

Seal of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission

See also: State election agencies

Individuals seeking additional information about voting provisions in Alaska can contact the following local, state, and federal agencies.

Alaska Regional Elections Offices

Click here for a list

Alaska Division of Elections

Court Plaza Building

240 Main Street, 4th Floor

Juneau, Alaska 99801

Mailing address: PO Box 110017

Juneau, Alaska 99811-0017

Telephone: 907-465-4611

Toll free: 866-952-8683

Website: http://www.elections.alaska.gov/

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

633 3rd Street NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20001

Telephone: 301-563-3919

Toll free: 1-866-747-1471

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See also

• 2024 election dates and deadlines
• Voting in Alaska
• Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Alaska
• Redistricting in Alaska

Elections in Alaska

• Alaska elections, 2023
• Alaska elections, 2022
• Alaska elections, 2021
• Alaska elections, 2020
• Alaska elections, 2019
• Alaska elections, 2018
• Alaska elections, 2017
• Alaska elections, 2016
• Alaska elections, 2015
• Alaska elections, 2014

External links

• Alaska Division of Elections