Randall Burns and Peggy Robinson outline Anchorage voting rules

In a column for adn.com, Randall Burns and Peggy Robinson argue that Anchorage voters preparing for the Nov. 3 state general election must follow different voting rules, sites, and deadlines than those used in municipal elections.

Midtown REI Mall Early Voting Site Details

For the Nov. 3 state general election, the main Anchorage early voting site is located inside the Midtown Mall instead of the Division of Elections office on Gambell Street, adn.com reported. Randall Burns and Peggy Robinson serve as co-chairs for this main early voting location. Unlike voting procedures from two years ago, individuals standing in early voting lines will not have to wait outside. Early in-person voting runs from Monday, Oct. 19, through Nov. 3. The Midtown Mall and Anchorage City Hall locations provide ballots for all 40 House districts in the state, including all Anchorage and Valley election districts. Meanwhile, the Eagle River Town Center site at 12001 Business Blvd. only carries ballots for House Districts 23 and 24. Anchorage’s Loussac Library does not serve as an early voting site for state elections and only operates as a neighborhood precinct on Election Day.

State Versus Municipal Election Rules

Randall Burns and Peggy Robinson emphasize that the state of Alaska does not conduct elections by mail, contrasting with the Municipality of Anchorage which does use mail-in voting. Voters who will not be physically present in Alaska on Nov. 3 must either vote early in person or request an absentee ballot from the Division of Elections. Individuals who opt to request an absentee ballot must provide an address where they can receive it in mid- to late October, because absentee ballots cannot be forwarded. Voters can return absentee ballot envelopes through the post office or drop them off in person at any early voting site or local precinct on Election Day. The state does not deploy outside drop-off ballot boxes around Anchorage, as those bins are restricted to municipal elections. Voters dropping off an absentee ballot in person can bypass lines by walking straight into any early voting site or precinct and placing the ballot in the blue box inside.

Registration Deadlines and Address Updates

To participate in the general election, individuals must register to vote no later than Sunday, Oct. 4, through the online portal at voterregistration.alaska.gov. Voters who have moved must also correct their registration address by the Oct. 4 deadline. Randall Burns and Peggy Robinson encourage voters to verify their current street address and neighborhood polling location by checking the Division of Elections database at myvoterportal.alaska.gov. For questions regarding the process or to update information before the deadline, voters can contact the Region II Division of Elections office in Anchorage at 907-522-8683.

Early Voting Schedule Leading to Nov 3

Beginning Oct. 19, the Midtown Mall early voting site opens daily with specific hours through Election Day. Monday through Friday operations run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Weekend hours are scheduled for Saturdays, Oct. 24 and Oct. 31, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays, Oct. 25 and Nov. 1, from noon to 4 p.m. On Election Day, Nov. 3, the Midtown Mall location is open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The City Hall and Eagle River locations operate Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with City Hall remaining closed on weekends and Election Day. The Eagle River site opens on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. All neighborhood precincts across Anchorage open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., with specific precinct locations published on the Division of Elections website at elections.alaska.gov.