With the Nov. 3 election less than a week away, as of Wednesday afternoon, 286 people in the Chilkat Valley had already voted at the borough administration building.
Nationwide, media outlets are reporting a surge in early and absentee voting this year linked to COVID-19 pandemic concerns. In Alaska, more than 75,000 people have already cast absentee ballots, roughly a quarter of all votes cast in the state in the 2016 general election.
On election day, Chilkat Valley residents will be able to cast ballots between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. at their respective polling place—the townsite ANB Hall, the Klehini Valley Fire Hall or the Klukwan ANS Hall—depending on their address.
“If people are sick or quarantining on election day, they should call the clerk’s office to request a special needs ballot brought to their house,” Haines Borough clerk Alekka Fullerton said.
Voters who do not wish to go to their polling place on election day have the option of voting early or mailing an absentee ballot. The deadline for requesting an absentee ballot delivered by mail has passed, but residents can still request an electronic transmission ballot until Nov. 2. All by-mail and electronic transmission ballots must be postmarked by election day in order to count.
All Chilkat Valley residents, regardless of address, have the option of voting early at the borough administration building Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The last day to vote early is Nov. 2.
Ballots will ask voters to select a candidate for president, U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative and State House Representative. It will also ask voters to decide on two ballot measures, one that would change the oil and gas tax structure for certain North Slope fields and another that would introduce open primaries, ranked choice voting and additional campaign finance reporting requirements to state elections. Sample ballots can be found on the state’s Division of Elections website.
Voters can look up their polling place, as well as the status of their absentee ballot, at: https://myvoterinformation.alaska.gov/.