Honoring Elizabeth Peratrovich & Protecting Alaska’s Voting Rights
A wonderful group of old friends and new faces joined us to celebrate Elizabeth Peratrovich on Tuesday night at the Nave! Our guest artists Bobby Brower, Danielle Larsen, and Elizabeth Lozano lit up the entryway with their beautiful work, and our screening of For the Rights of All immersed us in the story of Peratrovich’s activism (we were also lucky to have in attendance Jeff Silverman, the film’s director!). For me, the highlight of the night was hearing Debra Call, representative of Cook Inlet at AFN, speak on her pride in Alaska’s native communities and her hopes for a government that represents all Alaskans.
I left feeling inspired and hopeful – especially because many of the problems we discussed have proposed solutions pending right now in the state legislature. The Alaska Center is working to pass bills that would prevent ballots from being needlessly thrown out and help elections run smoothly in rural areas.
In the House, HB 43 proposes extending the election timeline such that early voting would begin 30 days before Election Day (rather than the current 15 days). This provision would not only alleviate the long voting lines we saw this past fall; it would also reduce the likelihood that delays in rural areas prevent ballots from being cast and counted. In the Senate, SB 64 would appoint a rural community liaison to the Division of Elections to prevent all-too-common failures of rural election administration. Both HB 43 and SB 64 contain a slate of other policies to protect voting rights, including eliminating the witness signature requirement, establishing a process for “curing” honest mistakes on mail-in ballots, and allowing voters to register through Election Day.
But these bills won’t pass unless Alaskans collectively speak up. Unique testimony delivered directly to your representatives in Juneau is one of the best ways to persuade them to take action. If you’re ready to step up and protect voting rights for all Alaskans, fill out the form below, and we’ll be in contact with you when there are testimony opportunities!
While we are optimistic about the future of voting rights in the state legislature, we are also monitoring a bill in Congress which, if passed, could deprive Americans across the country of their ability to vote. The SAVE Act would invalidate most ways that Americans currently register to vote, prohibiting registration with a driver’s license and registration by mail. Most people would be required to present a passport or birth certificate matching their legal name in order to register to vote – despite the fact that half of Americans don’t have a passport, and millions of married women have changed their legal names, rendering their birth certificates ineligible under the proposed law.
The effects of the SAVE Act would be especially devastating in Alaska. In our large, rural state, requiring in-person voter registration would make it extremely difficult for many Alaskans to vote. In addition, most tribal IDs would not be accepted for voter registration. It is critical that our leaders in Congress understand the disastrous impact that voting for this legislation would have on their home communities. Use the online form below to send an email to our congressional delegation urging them to vote NO on the SAVE Act.
Amidst all the potential for harm, and in all the possibilities for progress, I am deeply grateful for The Alaska Center’s dedicated, passionate community. Thank you for taking action, and for standing with us.
In solidarity for voting rights,
Ayden Nichol
Democracy & Civic Engagement Fellow
The Alaska Center
