Action plan draws climate rally

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[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_text _id=”4″ ][cs_content_seo]A large crowd showed up in force at Thursday night’s Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly to speak on the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan, a roadmap of recommended goals and actions to address climate change challenges in the borough.

Outside the borough administrative center, more than two dozen people rallied to support the Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition and the Alaska Center as they pushed support for the original version of the plan.

Shouts of “Listen to the public, restore the climate plan” and “the climate is warming” filled the air, with occasional passers-by dismissing the claims or objecting to any climate change.

Aurora Bowers, communications organizer for the climate action coalition, told rally members that they “are in it for the long haul.”
 
Alyssa Quintyne with the Alaska Center said the plan takes all residents to address the matter.

“The threat to the climate is real,” Quintyne said. “I know this community is committed and strong. We will continue to work for what this community deserves, and that is climate action.”

Tristan Glowa, with the coalition, told rally attendees that the borough leadership must take lead and not shirk its duties to address challenges caused by the climate change.

The CAAP has been in the works since 2019 and has undergone a lengthy process from stakeholder engagement and efforts from two committees and engineering firm RESPEC.

The plan underwent significant changes following edits by a new climate action committee appointed by Assembly Presiding Officer Aaron Lojewski after he took the assembly helm. Lojewski tasked the new committee with ensuring the plan’s goals and recommended actions to align with borough powers.

The plan the committee advanced to the assembly includes one 37-page chapter full of recommended actions and goals and an extensive set of references and appendices.

Recommended actions and goals include continued monitoring of borough-owned buildings to lower energy costs, weatherization of older facilities and more energy efficient new construction as well as a push to diversify the borough’s vehicle fleet when making new purchases.

It also encourages the development of renewable energy sources, a more robust transit plan and strategically capitalizing on existing natural gas infrastructure.

However, the edited version has been called gutted by local residents and environmental groups, as it buries four original chapters in the appendices.

The borough climate action committee recommended the edited plan at its May 8 meeting. When moving the plan forward, most committee members stated the the revisions made reflects what the borough can accomplish and are practical.

Aaron Gibson, chair of the now-winded down climate action committee, told the News-Miner Thursday night that the revised plan “is something we have given our full attention to.”

“There was a lot of items on it that the committee was in agreement on,” Gibson said. “The focus was to take goals that the borough can achieve with reasonable actions.”

The borough assembly had not reached a conclusion on adopting the plan as of deadline Thursday night.

 

Originally published on June 9, 2023 by the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]

As Assembly plans climate plan discussion; groups rally to expand it

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[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_text _id=”4″ ][cs_content_seo]The Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly will decide on whether to approve a climate action and adaptation plan (CAAP) Thursday night.

The Assembly commissioned the plan just two years ago when it formed the Climate Action Committee and hired RESPEC to conduct outreach, information and goals to address climate change concerns within the borough.

The committee approved the plan on May 8 and pushed it on to the assembly with a recommendation to adopt it. The Assembly then advanced the amended draft plan and its adoption resolution to a public hearing Thursday, with only Assemblymember Mindy O’Neall voting against it.

The Assembly meeting starts at 6 p.m., with public hearing and Assembly decisions for special orders such as the CAAP adoption starting after 7 p.m.

The amended plan includes one 37-page chapter full of recommended actions and goals and an extensive set of references and appendices.

Recommended actions and goals include continued monitoring of borough-owned buildings to lower energy costs, weatherization of older facilities and more energy efficient new construction and a push to diversify the borough’s vehicle fleet when making new purchases.

It also encourages the development of renewable energy sources, a more robust transit plan and strategically capitalizing on existing natural gas infrastructure.

The amended version has drawn a lot of criticism from local residents, environmental advocacy groups and some Assemblymembers, along with opposition from residents who believe the borough shouldn’t be involved in adopting a climate action plan.

The committee voted to move most of the plan’s chapters to reference material and appendixes and keep the action chapter as the primary source. Most committee members stated that the action plan chapter was the main focus of their revisions.

The Fairbanks Climate Action Coalition and Alaska Center plan to hold a rally to raise awareness Thursday night before the meeting about the “gutted plan” and urge the Assembly to either amend or restore the draft full plan.

Alyssa Quintyne, Alaska Center’s Interior community organizing manager and one of the rally organizers, said the adopted plan essentially relegated two years worth of community feedback and outreach to the back.

“The rally is really to raise a message that we have followed the process to a T, we’ve had people on the previous committee who worked not just with folks in the community but also experts and workers to make a solid plan,” Quintyne said Monday.

The committee’s old members were replaced by new ones by new Assembly Presiding Officer Aaron Lojewski after the Assembly re-organized in October 2022. The new members were tasked with reviewing and re-working the plan to better align with things the borough could accomplish.

The new appointments drew a lot of criticism from some assembly members, dozens of residents and local environmental advocacy groups, along with changes to the plan.

The removed chapters contain information on existing climate conditions and challenges in the borough, greenhouse emission goals, testimony and references of conditions caused by a changing climate and education goals.

The amended plan, with its narrower scope, has still drawn opposition.

At a May 26 special meeting, North Pole resident Sally Duncan said the borough shouldn’t be involved in developing a plan.

“It should not be a goal … the borough does not have the authority to do so,” Duncan said.

North Pole resident North Pole resident Rita Trometter had called it government overreach despite any perceived good intent.

“It has its drawbacks in that it costs excessive amounts of money to implement and to run,” Trometter said. “Grant writers are very costly and our state is very good at placing lots of words on paper with ideas that go nowhere — the borough does not need to follow in their footsteps.”

Quintyne, with the Alaska Center, said the removed chapters essentially reduce the CAAP’s effectiveness and has effectively become a politically local hot topic when it shouldn’t be one.

“It’s a climate action plan to help us prepare for the next storm that happens,” Qunityne said. “Whether you agree with it or not, that’s what they have to do.”

Quintyne added she hopes Assemblymembers will make decisions or amendments to make the plan “more robust” and adaptable to climate change preparations.

“It will directly impact everything from transportation to how buildings are going to be coded and function to the management of snow,” Quintyne said. “You’re either prepared or not, the borough is preparing its staff and residents for another long-term emergency or not.”

She added there are already long-term implications from climate change, such as increased wildfire conditions, thawing permafrost and the December 2021 “Snowpocalypse” weather event that was responsible for a near-record snowfall and freezing rain.

“We’re already being impacted, so this is serious,” Quintyne said. It’s not a ‘both sides’ situation.”

Originally published on June 6, 2023 by the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]

STATEMENT: Utility Board Election Turnout Reflects Community Commitment to Clean Energy

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[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_text _id=”4″ ][cs_content_seo]Statement: May 25, 2023
Utility Board Election Turnout Reflects Community Commitment to Clean Energy 
This year, Chugach Utility member-owners voted in record-breaking numbers, largely in support of candidates who ran on a campaign of renewable energy solutions to the gas crisis and increased transparency in board decision-making. 15.7% of eligible voters turned out – a 30% increase from last year. The Chugach Electric Board elections are consequential because, as the state’s largest utility, they can drastically change Alaska’s renewable energy landscape. The Alaska Center, with the help of a committee of local volunteers and energy experts, endorsed three candidates on a renewable energy slate: Shaina Kilcoyne, Susanne Fleek-Green, and Jim Nordlund. Of these candidates, Jim Nordlund and Susanne Fleek-Green will join the board of directors to fight for a clean energy future for Chugach members. 
“This year’s Chugach Electric Association utility board elections demonstrate that CEA ratepayers want decisive, urgent action to add more clean energy to the grid. We are elated by the election of two of our endorsed candidates to the Board of Directors. And we hope the entire Board of Directors will honor the message of its member-owners: address the climate crisis, capitalize on unprecedented federal funding opportunities, and expand low-cost renewable power generation options. 
We are equally excited about the tremendous voter turn out in this election. At The Alaska Center we believe that every Alaskan should have a voice in deciding their leadership; be it state, local or utility cooperative. The record-breaking turnout shows a growing wave of people invested in the transparency and direction of the utility cooperatives producing their energy.” Chantal De Alcuaz, Co-Executive Director, The Alaska Center
Contact our Communications Team  To Learn More:\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]

STATEMENT: The Alaska Center supports introduction of community solar legislation

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On May 16, 2023, Senator Wielechowski introduced SB 152, AN ACT RELATING TO COMMUNITY ENERGY FACILITIES to the Alaska State Senate. This bill will open the door for more Alaskans to benefit from solar power through the use of communal solar gardens, available at an affordable price to anyone who pays an electric bill. Community Solar gardens will bolster our state’s supply of renewable, reliable, and affordable energy for Alaskans, and The Alaska Center supports the passage of this bill through the legislature.

“Community solar is an important step toward making renewable energy accessible to all Alaskans. It will open up energy savings to renters and low-income community members who can’t afford the upfront costs and are at the frontlines of the climate crisis. 79,000 Alaskans are currently living below the Federal poverty level, and over 260,000 Alaskans live in rental housing. This bill opens the door to long-term energy savings, good-paying jobs, and a real pathway towards much-needed energy and economic diversity for all Alaskans.  Through our work in solarizing communities over the past five years, we have seen the upfront cost be a real barrier for families. We are excited to see the opportunity for more Alaskan families to access renewables and cheaper energy bills.”
– Chantal de Alcuaz, Co-Executive Director

The Power Of Your Vote For Clean Energy

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[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_text _id=”4″ ][cs_content_seo]Do you pay an electric bill? Most Alaskans get their electricity from utility cooperatives. A board of directors leads these cooperatives to ensure the lights stay on and rates are affordable. If you pay an electric bill to one of these cooperatives, you are a member-owner, which means you have the right to elect and hold board members accountable! Across the state, board members vote on issues affecting Alaskans today and for generations. Matanuska Electric Association is once again fielding conversations about a Susitna-Watana Dam. Chugach Electric Association is working on a mitigation plan for the Eklutna Dam, deciding whether or not a once free-flowing salmon-supporting river will return to the Eklunta People, who have been asking for its restoration for decades. With natural gas supplies dwindling, communities across the state must decide where our energy will come from going forward. Utility boards make critical decisions like these every day.
Issues this significant and impactful to our state, our favorite places to recreate, our food sources, and our way of life should have our input. So why don’t Alaskans engage in Utility Elections? Chugach Electric Association, the largest electric cooperative in the state, reported a record-breaking election turnout of only 11.8% last year. That means your vote could really change the outcome of these elections.
If you care about clean air and water and healthy communities, you should use your power to vote for Board Members who not only support renewable energy but are champions for Alaska’s clean energy future. If you are a member-owner of Chugach Electric, I encourage you to vote for Shaina Kilcoyne, Susanne Fleek Green, and Jim Nordlund. These candidates are committed to listening to public input and moving clean energy projects forward. It’s a month-long election; voting starts on April 19 and closes on May 19. Your ballot comes with your bill, and you can vote online at Chugach Electric Association’s website.

These elections are the most important thing that no one talks about. In an election with voter turnout rates this low, one vote can mean the difference between a coal plant and a solar farm. If you have been looking for a small step to make a massive change in your community, this is it. You have the opportunity to create a future that you want to live in; take it. Use your voice and vote. Visit your local utility cooperative’s website for information on how to vote and attend board meetings.
Rachel Christensen is the Clean Energy Organizer for The Alaska Center and lives in Palmer. 

Originally published on May 5, 2023 by Sol de Medianoche.\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]

Chugach Electric board election brings out nine candidates, sharp opinions

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[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_text _id=”4″ ][cs_content_seo]Chugach Electric’s annual board of directors election has attracted a larger field than normal: Nine candidates are vying for three open board seats. With a heavy reliance on natural gas to generate power and a projected Cook Inlet natural gas shortfall looming, those elected to the board will help shape the future of Alaska’s largest electric utility, and Southcentral Alaska, in the process.
Chugach is a member-owned cooperative guided by a seven-member board elected by and from its more than 90,000 members from Southcentral communities, including Anchorage, Girdwood, Tyonek, Whittier, Cooper Landing and Moose Pass. Chugiak and Eagle River are not within Chugach Electric’s service area. The board sets utility policy, establishes priorities and provides direction to Chugach’s CEO, Arthur Miller. Directors are elected to staggered four-year terms each spring.
Much of the current board helped navigate Chugach’s nearly $1-billion-dollar acquisition of Municipal Light & Power, and also were responsible for a CEO search that resulted in a lawsuit settlement and attracted scrutiny for its use of executive sessions.
Additionally, the board set goals to reduce Chugach’s carbon footprint by at least 35% by 2030 and at least 50% by 2040, using 2012 as the baseline year. The goals come with the caveat that they can’t have a material negative impact on rates. The utility’s current annual energy mix is about 82% natural gas, 15% hydro and 3% wind, plus just 0.1% solar purchased back from members.
The slate of candidates running for four-year terms includes:

Brad Authier, a semi-retired engineer who works for SAC LLC
Bettina Chastain, a self-employed engineering consultant currently serving as board chair
Susanne Fleek-Green, a National Park Service superintendent
Harold Hollis, a retired engineer currently serving as board treasurer
Shaina Kilcoyne, an energy and climate program director for the Alaska Venture Fund
Steve Konkel, a self-employed environmental health sciences and public policy consultant
Jim Nordlund, a former state legislator and retired nonprofit executive
Scott Von Gemmingen, an auditor with the State of Alaska
James Wileman, a self-employed financial services consultant

The Alaska Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit focused on clean energy, clean water and democracy, has endorsed three candidates – Fleek-Green, Kilcoyne and Nordlund – as “pro-renewable energy and respected community leaders” who “will keep us on the right path for a clean, sustainable future.”
Power the Future Alaska, whose mission is to offer “truth, facts, and research that will enrich the national conversation on energy,” published an opinion piece taking aim at the Alaska Center-endorsed candidates to the conservative blog Must Read Alaska. Power The Future Alaska, a conservative oil and gas advocacy nonprofit with ties to the Koch brothers, is promoting oil-and-gas-friendly candidates. Director Rick Whitbeck wrote a recent blog post claiming “everyone’s favorite group of left-wing (nut) warriors is trying to shove radical candidates” onto the board.
Chastain, the current board chair, took to the Anchorage Daily News with an opinion piece co-authored by CEO Miller headlined “Anchorage’s electric utility is making progress on its clean-energy goals.” The piece is largely self-congratulatory and omits the disclosure that Chastain is running for reelection.
Chugach’s last significant renewable project was  the Fire Island Wind farm, which came online in 2012. Chastain and Miller’s piece does mention two proposed utility-scale projects — one wind, one solar — that are currently being studied for feasibility, as well as the purchase of a Tesla Megapack battery energy storage system to be installed in 2024
In candidate statements posted on the Chugach website, all candidates mention either renewable energy, diversifying generation and clean energy. The Alaska Center-endorsed trio is more aggressive regarding renewable energy, while incumbents Chastain and Hollis are the only two to use the term “clean energy.” There is debate on the definitions of clean energy vs. renewable energy, such as whether clean energy includes sources that generate environmental side effects besides emissions.
Electronic voting begins April 19, when members of record will receive an email, and closes May 19. In-person voting is available at Chugach’s annual meeting on May 19 at ChangePoint Alaska. Voters will be entered to win a year of free electricity.
Originally published on April 14, 2023 by The Alaska Current.

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The Critical Elections Ahead

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[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_text _id=”4″ ][cs_content_seo]The stakes have never been higher for Anchorage: We are in the midst of a Mayoral crisis rife with acrimony, discord, and incompetence.
By now, you might have read several news articles covering the stories from the mayor’s office–accusations of unlawful treatment of employees, unethical hiring practices, and we all know about the massive delays of the most basic winter service of snowplowing. The administrative dysfunction affects all of us who live in Anchorage, and it is not what commitment and compassion look like in public service. That’s why it’s so crucial that Anchorage maintains an Assembly majority that will act as a measured and necessary check on the actions of the mayor’s office.
This year, there are consequential Assembly elections in every district in the municipality, school board elections (all school board seats are “at large,” meaning they cover the whole city instead of being separated into districts), and important ballot propositions and bonds. This year, The Alaska Center is proud to endorse five outstanding candidates for Anchorage Assembly who are already deeply invested in this work. Chris Constant for Downtown Anchorage (District 1 seat B) and Felix Rivera for Midtown Anchorage (District 4 Seat G) are incumbents who have proven time and time again that they are passionate and committed to serving Anchorage. Anna Brawley for West Anchorage (District 3 Seat E), Karen Bronga for East Anchorage (District 5 Seat H), and George Martinez for East Anchorage (District 5 Seat I) are new candidates who show their commitment to serving their neighbors through community councils, in schools, and as volunteers.
​
You have the opportunity to support candidates who support clean air and water, healthy communities, and a strong democracy. Those candidates, in turn, will have the opportunity to hold the mayor accountable, enact common-sense policies like family leave for municipal employees, and make Anchorage better for all of us. The stakes of this election are too high to sit out. You’ll receive your ballot in mid-March; make sure to return it by April 4th. Go to akcenter.org/elections if you have any questions!  ​
Originally published on March 21, 2023 by the Sol de Medianoche News.

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2023 Earth Day Film Screening

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[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_image _id=”4″ ][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id=”5″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”6″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”7″ ][cs_element_headline _id=”8″ ][cs_content_seo]Celebrate Earth Day & learn about the Eklutna River Restoration Project!
April 22, 6 pm at the Anchorage Museum\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][cs_element_section _id=”9″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”10″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”11″ ][cs_element_text _id=”12″ ][cs_content_seo]Join The Alaska Center and celebrate Earth Day with a screening of Patagonia’s award-winning documentary, DamNation, at The Anchorage Museum. This thrilling film documents dam removals in the Lower 48. Come learn about the efforts to return water and salmon to Alaska’s very own Eklutna River. Following the film, there will be a Q and A about the Eklutna River Restoration project.
This powerful film explores the shift in our national attitude, from pride in big dams as engineering wonders to the growing awareness that our own future is bound to the life and health of our rivers. Dam removal has moved beyond the fictional Monkey Wrench Gang to go mainstream. Where obsolete dams come down, rivers bound back to life, giving salmon and other wild fish the right of return to primeval spawning grounds, after decades without access. DamNation’s majestic cinematography and unexpected discoveries move through rivers and landscapes altered by dams, but also through a metamorphosis in values, from the conquest of the natural world to knowing ourselves as part of nature.\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][cs_element_layout_column _id=”13″ ][cs_element_button _id=”14″ ][cs_content_seo]Register To Join\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_gap _id=”15″ ][cs_element_image _id=”16″ ][cs_element_gap _id=”17″ ][cs_element_button _id=”18″ ][cs_content_seo]More Info About The Eklutna River Restoration\n\n[/cs_content_seo][cs_element_gap _id=”19″ ][cs_element_text _id=”20″ ][cs_content_seo]The Anchorage Museum
Address: 625 C St, Anchorage, AK 99501\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]

Solar panels closeup

Solarize Comes to the Northern Valley

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[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_text _id=”4″ ][cs_content_seo]The Alaska Center has selected the Talkeetna area to participate in this year’s Solarize program. Solarize is a community-driven nation-wide program with a mission to make solar more accessible and affordable with neighborhood economies of scale. The program is open to all Mat-Su residents, extending from Palmer to Trapper Creek.
The Alaska Center handles the bid process and selects installers that can provide the best options for the lowest cost to residents. Most residents offset some or most of their electricity using solar to lower their overall costs. Rachel Christensen, Clean Energy Organizer for the Alaska Center, explains some of the benefits of joining the program.
“We Solarize as a community so that not only are you doing it, but also your neighbors are doing it so there is that extra sense of community. You can lean on other people for advice on things, but also lean on us for any help that you might need.”
After a fall 2022 workshop, the organizers recognized and adapted the program for the northern Valley’s unique needs. Many Talkeetna and Trapper Creek residents are off-grid, but most participants are on-grid. Solarize is exploring the option to provide solar for off-grid homes. Christensen explains more about the possibilities.
“Some of the installers that we’re working with this year have shown interest in providing off-grid options. So we’re going to have those conversations with the installers in the coming couple weeks. They have shown interest so we’re not saying that it cannot happen, we’re just not sure what it’s going to look like yet.”
Christensen explains that the range in size of solar setups makes it difficult to give an average cost. But for a larger system, the cost may range from $10,000 to $20,000 with a ten-year payoff time frame. Solar panels often last more than 20 years, but can lose efficiency over time.
The Solarize program is in the process of selecting installers for this season and there is still time for residents to sign up through the Alaska Center.

Originally published on February 28, 2023 by KTNA\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]

Advancing Equity And Justice

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[cs_content][cs_element_section _id=”1″ ][cs_element_layout_row _id=”2″ ][cs_element_layout_column _id=”3″ ][cs_element_text _id=”4″ ][cs_content_seo]February is nationally recognized as Black History Month. It was declared a national holiday in 1976 by President Gerald Ford. Since then, the United States has celebrated the achievements of African Americans. While this month is a time to honor and celebrate, it is also a great opportunity to learn and reflect on what we can do to help achieve racial equity.

A 2022 Pew Research Center study found that about 6 million American adults identify as Afro-Latino. That’s 2% of the total adult population of the United States and 12% of the Latino adult population. From music, food, and even language, Central and South America has been heavily influenced by African culture over time, given the history of colonization, which included the slave trade. It is important to see how this affected and continues to affect Hispanic countries and cultures.

One issue that must be considered is the racial inequality it has caused. This is a huge part of history in many parts of the world. One way to help ensure that we are moving in the right direction is by electing people who understand and value the importance of racial equity and justice. It is also important to hold our elected leaders accountable when they cause harm to others, intentionally or not. In addition to electing and holding leaders accountable, you can also advocate for yourself and others; Elizabeth Peratrovich did just that.

Elizabeth Peratrovich was an Alaska Native civil rights activist who helped pass the Alaska Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945. This was the first anti-discrimination bill in the United States. She said: “Asking you to give me the same rights implies that they are yours to give. Instead, I must demand that you stop trying to deny me the rights that all people deserve.” Peratrovich knew that everyone deserved to be treated equally under the law, regardless of who they were or what they looked like. February 16 was declared Elizabeth Peratrovich Day here in Alaska in the late 1980s for her efforts to create a more perfect union. She was a true Alaskan pioneer and leader.

We can all keep up this job of protecting our right to vote in elections. Several bills have been introduced in the Alaska state legislature limiting that right. Our government is supposed to work for everyone, paying attention to the needs and challenges of each and every individual. We all deserve to have a voice in a true participatory democracy. However, substantial systemic barriers remain for many Alaska voters. In the 2022 election, rural and predominantly Native districts saw roughly one in eight ballots rejected by the Division of Elections, with the percentage of uncounted ballots as high as 17% in Bethel. This may be because voters made mistakes on their ballots, such as not including the signature of a witness and they were not allowed to fix it. The result of these errors means the disenfranchisement of voters in Alaska.

We must remove all systemic barriers for Alaskans to vote. One way to do this is to protect ranked voting in Alaska, which gives voters more agency in their elections and encourages a more diverse set of candidates to run. Passage of Senate Bill 19 would greatly benefit voters by requiring the Division of Elections to pay for return postage on absentee ballots, allow ballot healing for signature issues, and create a tracking system of tickets. This bill would also create a robust process for voters to “curate” their mail-in ballots. Voters could correct any errors on their ballot, such as forgetting to include a witness signature on absentee ballots. Keeping elections accessible to voters is the foundation for creating a fairer and more equitable future. This month, think about a topic that interests you and try to find a way to make a difference.

As we celebrate the work of Black, Afro-Latino, and Indigenous leaders in the fight for equity and equality, we also have an opportunity to be more proactive in ensuring that democracy itself can be a more accessible and equitable process for all Alaskans. We can be the tools for change, for racial justice, and for climate justice.

​For more information on voting and democracy issues, go to https://akcentereducationfund.org/democracy/ to get involved!

Jasmine Carter is the daughter of Mexican and Costa Rican immigrants, born and raised here in Alaska.
She is the South-Central Civic Engagement Organizer at The Alaska Center Education Fund.

Originally published on February 16, 2023 by Sol de Medianoche.\n\n[/cs_content_seo][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content]