Let’s Vote, Alaska!
Blog by Rachel Lord, Advocacy and Policy Director, AFPC
As Alaskans, we live in a small state. Not geographically, of course, but in population we have the lowest population density (1.3 people per square mile according to the 2020 Census), and the third lowest population (733,391 people in Alaska, after Wyoming and Vermont) in the nation. Walking through the Capitol Building in Juneau, or into the Congressional offices of our representatives in D.C., you are likely to bump into a relative, past colleague, or neighbor. Many of our elected officials are also relatives, past colleagues, neighbors, and friends.
Over the past year, Alaskans across the state have considered their interest and opportunity to step up into service and run for elected offices in 2024. As a nonpartisan, 501(c)3 organization, the Alaska Food Policy Council doesn’t endorse or support any candidates. But we are deeply dedicated to connecting Alaskans, and sharing information across the state. Policy and budget decisions made by elected officials at all levels of government can have massive impacts on Alaska’s food systems. Voting is one of our core responsibilities as citizens; Alaska’s elections have seen races won or lost over the smallest handful of votes. At AFPC, we will be encouraging you to learn more about the candidates on your ballot, and to get out and vote at every opportunity! During the election season, we’re also focusing on making connections with all of the candidates who have stepped up to run for office.
Entering the election season, we’re going to hit some highlights of what to know and how to participate as a voter!
Am I Registered To Vote?
To be able to vote in the general election, you must be registered to vote by October 6. It’s not too late! Check your voter registration status here. Need to register? It’s incredibly easy - do it now here.
What District do I live in?
Your ballot and the races you can vote in will be determined by where your voter registration address - where you live! You can use this interactive map from Alaska Legislative Affairs to find your address and learn your Senate and House Districts. Senate Districts are denoted with letters, A through T, and House Districts are denoted with numbers, 1 through 40.
Up First: Primary Election - Vote by August 20!
Alaska has an “Open Primary” - this means that all candidates for each race in your district are listed on your ballot - not just those of a particular political party. You vote for your top choice in each race, and the top four winners from each go on to the general election. Although only three races in the Primary will impact the General election slate of candidates through elimination, we know that candidates will look at primary results for their continued campaigns.
There are three races we are voting on in the Primary Election:
Congress - US House of Representatives
State Legislature - Senate (10 districts)
State Legislature - House (all 40 districts)
See the official list of all candidates here.
Check out your sample primary ballot (English), translated primary ballots (Yup’ik, Cup’ig, Inupiaq, Tagalog) (organized by House District number)
In the race for Alaska’s single seat in the US House of Representatives, there are twelve candidates, including incumbent Mary Peltola.
In the Alaska Legislature’s Senate races, there is only one district that has more than four candidates - Senate District L (Eagle River), including incumbent Kelly Merrick.
In the Alaska Legislature’s House races, there is also only one district that has more than four candidates - House District 36 (Copper River, Delta, Tok, Yukon). Incumbent Mike Cronk is not running for this seat (he is in the Senate race for District R).
The General Elections will be held on November 5th, with the ability to rank your top four choices for each race.
Stay tuned for more food-focused election information from AFPC and our partners in the coming months! Do you have questions about the elections, or issues impacting our food systems? Reach out and let us know!
