Protect Every Vote: What’s at Stake for Alaskans Right Now
As summer draws closer, our efforts to protect voting rights at both the state and federal levels are coming to a head.
In the state legislature, with the session almost at its end, we are pushing hard to get the voting rights bill SB 64 across the finish line. Given the hundreds of ballots thrown out in last November’s elections and the failures to open rural polling places on time (or at all) in recent years, the passage of new voting rights protections is critical. SB 64 would eliminate the witness signature requirement on absentee/mail ballots (the ineffective security measure that has been responsible for the majority of ballot rejections) and create a process for curing ballots so that honest mistakes don’t result in votes being discarded. It would also create a rural community liaison position in the Division of Elections to ensure that elections run smoothly in small communities across the state.
Thanks to the hard work of our allies in Juneau, SB 64 passed in the Senate, and it is nearing debate and a vote on its passage on the House floor. During this period, it will be critical that our legislators hear from us that protecting voting rights is a top priority. If you want to help protect voting rights for all Alaskans, now is the time to take action. Fill out the form below, and we’ll connect you with opportunities to make an impact.
As we push to expand voting rights at the state level, we are playing defense in Congress. A voter suppression bill known as the “SAVE Act” passed in the House of Representatives last month and is now heading to the Senate. If signed into law, it could prevent tens of thousands of Alaskans from voting.
The SAVE Act would outlaw the methods most people rely on to register to vote: driver’s licenses, military IDs, and tribal IDs would no longer be accepted. Instead, a voter would be required to present either a passport (which over 300,000 Alaskans don’t have) or a birth certificate with a name that matches a photo ID (for many married people who have changed their names, these do not match).
Moreover, the Act would require these documents to be presented in person at an elections office – but there are only six such elections offices in Alaska. To visit one of these offices during business hours would be an inconvenience for any voter, but for rural Alaskans, it could require a plane trip. This is an enormous burden simply to register to vote.
Our friends at ACLU of Alaska, Native American Rights Fund, and the League of Women Voters are collaborating on a town hall next Tuesday where you can learn more about this dangerous legislation and how to get involved to stop it. It will be held at the Loussac Library, with options to join virtually if you live outside of Anchorage. I’ll be there, and I’m hoping you’ll be able to join us as well.
Thank you for your tremendous support for our efforts to ensure that every Alaskan has the right to cast a ballot.
Gratefully,
The Alaska Center
¹ The study from BW Research looks at economic impacts of the tax credits from 2025 to 2032.
