The Native leadership team working to establish new absentee in-person and early voting sites has completed its work and released the final list of new sites. An astonishing 128 villages were added in 11 business days.
The team, with representatives from the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN), the ANCSA Regional Association, and Get Out The Native Vote (GOTNV), agreed on June 19 to partner with the Division of Elections in establishing absentee in-person voting sites in villages that either did not have one or needed to reestablish themselves officially with the state
“This is just one step in ensuring the Native community is able to exercise our fundamental right to vote,” said Julie Kitka, President of AFN. “The team’s next efforts will be to continue non-partisan voter registration, and to educate voters on the issues and candidate races.”
In all, the team contacted some 180 villages. Some of the villages were already permanent absentee in-person voting sites. The team established new sites in 128 villages, which the Division of Election approved.
AFN and the ANCSA Regional Association would like to thank the villages and tribal governments that agreed to take on absentee in-person and early voting duties, and the individuals who have agreed to serve as absentee polling site workers.
Below is a list of all villages participating in absentee in-person voting sites.
Adak
Akiachak
Akiak
Akutan
Alakanuk
Allakaket
Aleknagik
Ambler
Anaktuvuk Pass
Anvik
Arctic Village
Atmautluak
Atqasuk
Beaver
Bettles
Birch Creek
Brevig Mission
Buckland
Cantwell
Chefornak
Chevak
Chignik Bay
Chistochina
Chitina
Chuathbaluk
Circle
Clark’s Point
Copper Center
Crooked Creek
Deering
Diomede
Eagle
Eek
Egegik
Ekwok
Elim
Emmonak
Fort Yukon
Gakona
Gambell
Golovin
Goodnews Bay
Grayling
Gulkana
Holy Cross
Hooper Bay
Hughes
Huslia
Kaktovik
Kaltag
Kasigluk
Kiana
King Cove
King Salmon
Kipnuk
Kivalina
Kobuk
Kokhanok
Koliganek
Kongiganak
Kotlik
Koyuk
Kwethluk
Kwigillingok
Larsen Bay
Levelock
Lower Kalskag
Manokotak
Marshall
Mekoryuk
Mentasta
Mountain Village
Napakiak
Napaskiak
Newhalen
New Stuyahok
Newtok
Nightmute
Nikolai
Nikolski
Nondalton
Noatak
Noorvik
Northway
Nuiqsut
Nunam Iqua
Nunapitchuk
Oscarville
Ouzinkie
Pedro Bay
Perryville
Pilot Station
Point Hope
Point Lay
Port Heiden
Port Lions
Quinhagak
Ruby
Russian Mission
Savoonga
Scammon Bay
Selawik
Shageluk
Shaktoolik
Shishmaref
Shungnak
Sleetmute
St. George
St. Michael
South Naknek
Stebbins
Stony River
Takotna
Tanana
Tatitlek
Tazlina
Teller
Togiak
Toksook Bay
Tuluksak
Tununak
Tuntutuliak
Tyonek
Upper Kalskag
Venetie
Wainwright
Wales
White Mountain
What is the difference between absentee in-person voting and early voting?
When voting absentee in-person, the voter’s eligibility to vote is verified after the voter is issued a ballot. Since the voter’s eligibility can not be verified at the time of voting, the voter’s voted ballot is placed inside an absentee voting envelope prior to being placed in the ballot box.
When voting early, the voter’s eligibility to vote is verified at the time of voting through the Division of Elections statewide voter registration system. A voter is eligible to vote early if the voter is voting at the Regional Elections Office where the voter is registered and if the voter’s registration record is active and current. Since the voter’s eligibility to vote could be verified, the voter simply signs a certificate and the voted ballot is placed directly into the ballot box.