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A voter guide to the US House special primary election on June 11

The State of Alaska Division of Elections' 2020 “I Voted” sticker created by Alaskan artist Barbara Lavallee.
Alaska Division of Elections
The State of Alaska Division of Elections' 2020 “I Voted” sticker created by Alaskan artist Barbara Lavallee.

Voting has begun in the special primary election to fill the late Rep. Don Young’s seat in the U.S. House. Here’s a voter guide for that election.

May 12: Deadline to Register To Vote

The deadline to register to vote or update your mailing address to receive a ballot is Thursday, May 12. The special primary election is Alaska’s first state-wide by-mail election, and ballots have already been mailed out. If you have not yet received one, it could mean that you need to update your voter registration or mailing address.

You can do that online at the Alaska Division of Elections website, or by contacting the regional elections office in Nome. If you’re in Bethel, you can fill out a paper voter registration form at the Kuskokwim Consortium Library in the Yupiit Picirayarait Cultural Center.

How To Fill Out Your Ballot 

Forty-eight candidates appear on the ballot. To vote, pick one candidate by filling in the bubble next to their name with blue or black ink. Then place the ballot in the secrecy sleeve and seal it in its pre-addressed, pre-paid envelope. You must sign the outside of the envelope, and a witness who is age 18 or older must also sign below your name. The witness only needs to observe you signing your envelope. No one should watch you fill out your ballot. That’s a private act.

The four candidates who receive the most votes in the special primary election will appear on the Aug. 16 special general election ballot. Voters will use ranked choice voting in that election.

June 11: Deadline to Postmark Ballot

All ballots must be postmarked by Saturday, June 11. Many rural post offices are not open on Saturdays and many send their mail to Anchorage for postmark, so voting officials recommend mailing ballots early.

Bethel Postmaster Alan Murphy says that the Bethel post office will be postmarking ballots on June 11. He recommends that voters ask a postal worker to postmark their ballot that day. He warns voters that on election day, it would be best not to drop their ballots in the post box located in the post office parking lot. They might not be picked up after the box is checked at 10:30 a.m.

If you damage or lose your ballot, you can contact the regional Alaska Division of Elections office in Nome for a replacement.

Voting In-Person 

In many communities, you can vote in-person.Absentee in-person voting will occur on weekdays from May 27 to June 10. The sites will be closed Memorial Day.

A ballot will be provided for you at the voting location. You do not need to bring your mailed ballot. If you cast a ballot at an absentee in-person voting site, then do not also mail in a ballot. That would result in neither ballot counting, according to the state Division of Elections.

At these locations, voters can also request a replacement ballot, vote if they did not receive a ballot at their mailing address, or return their ballots.

In Bethel, absentee in-person voting will occur at the ONC main office building from 8:30 a.m. to noon, and from 1p.m. to 5 p.m.

Other Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta communities that will hold absentee in-person voting are: Akiachak, Akiak, Aniak, Chevak, Crooked Creek, Emmonak, Kasigluk, Kipnuk, Kotlik, Marshall, Mountain Village, Napakiak, Napaskiak, Newtok, Nightmute, Oscarville, Pitka’s Point, Quinhagak, Scammon Bay, Sleetmute, St. Mary’s, Tuluksak, and Upper Kalskag.

Helpful Links and Information:

List of 48 candidates for Special Primary Election: https://www.elections.alaska.gov/Core/candidatelistspecprim.php

Sample ballot for June 11 Special Primary Election: https://www.elections.alaska.gov/election/2022special_primary_sb/SB-English%20HD38.pdf

Check your voter registration information: https://myvoterinformation.alaska.gov/

Update your voter registration: https://voterregistration.alaska.gov/

Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta voters can call the Region IV Elections Office in Nome with questions or to check their voter registration status at 907-443-5285 or toll-free 866-953-8683.

Alaska’s ballot counting process: https://www.elections.alaska.gov/Core/alaskasballotcountprocess.php

Alaska Division of Elections: https://elections.alaska.gov/

Learn about ranked choice voting: https://www.elections.alaska.gov/RCV.php

Absentee In-Person Voting Locations in Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta:

Voting sites are open from May 27 to June 10.

Akiachak
Voting location: Akiachak Bingo Hall
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Akiak
Voting location: Kokarmuit Corporation Building
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Aniak
Voting location: Aniak City office
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Bethel
Voting location: ONC Main Building
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to noon; 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Chevak
Voting location: City of Chevak
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon; 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Crooked Creek
Voting location: Crooked Creek Traditional Building
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Emmonak
Voting location: City of Emmonak Complex Building
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Kasigluk
Voting location: Kasigluk Traditional Council
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Kipnuk
Voting location: Qanganaq Building
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon; 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Kotlik
Voting location: Kotlik City Hall
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Marshall
Voting location: City of Marshall
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Mountain Village
Voting location: Mountain Village Community Hall
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Napakiak
Voting location: Napakiak City Office
Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to noon; 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Napsakiak
Voting location: City of Napaskiak, Bingo Hall
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Newtok
Voting location: Newtok Village Council Building
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon; 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Voting location: NVC Brown Building
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to noon; 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Nightmute
Voting location: City of Nightmute Building
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon; 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Oscarville
Voting location: Oscarville Tribal Building
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to noon; 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Pitka’s Point
Voting location: Pitka’s Point Tribal Hall
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon; 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Quinhagak
Voting location: Quinhagak City Office
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Scammon Bay
Voting location: Scammon Bay City Office
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to noon; 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Sleetmute
Voting location: Sleetmute Traditional Council
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

St. Mary’s
Voting location: St. Mary’s City Office
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tuluksak
Voting location: Tuluksak Native Community Office
Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Upper Kalskag
Voting location: Multipurpose Building
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Anna Rose MacArthur served as KYUK's News Director from 2015-2022.
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