Protecting Your Rights: Serving Sand Lake, Spenard and Turnagain

October 3, 2020

In this issue:

• Voter Registration Deadline

• Early Voting

• Absentee Ballot Applications

• Returning Your Absentee Ballot

• Community Events

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

We will be taking a break from sending regular e-newsletter updates until after the General Election to comply with ethics guidelines for legislative communications during the time leading up to an election. But my office is still here to assist you. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.

Voter Registration Deadline

If you haven't already, please register to vote! Sunday, October 4 is the deadline for voters to register to vote or update their registration.

Early Voting

Early voting will begin on October 19 at over 150 locations throughout the state. Early voting is an option if you want to vote in-person, but you do not want to vote at your polling place on Election Day. You can also vote on Election Day at the early vote locations.

The DOE has announced four early voting locations in Anchorage:

Midtown Mall (Mall at Sears): 600 E Northern Lights Blvd

UAA Student Union: 3211 Providence Drive

Anchorage City Hall: 632 W 6th Avenue

Cook Inlet Tribal Council: 3600 San Jeronimo Drive, Suite 410

On Election Day, you can also vote at the Anchorage airport:

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport: First Floor

Level one from the parking garage through the double doors to the right.

To view the full list of polling locations and the dates and hours that each location will be in operation, visit DOE's Early Voting page. Here are some things you can expect to see voting early or at the polling places on Election Day:

Election officials will be wearing provided PPE, such as facial coverings and gloves.
Hand sanitizer will be available for you to use before checking in, when using voting equipment and upon exiting the polling place.
Facial coverings will be available for you, as well as disposable gloves.
DOE will promote CDC recommended social distancing.
Every effort will be made to space voting booths six feet apart.
Election officials will be disinfecting the voting area throughout the day.

The General Election is on Tuesday, November 3. On Election Day, all polling places, including the early voting locations, will be open from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

For detailed information about voting, visit the DOE website.

Absentee Ballot Applications

The Division of Elections began sending out absentee ballots on October 2 to ensure that voters have adequate time to complete and return their mail-in ballots.

We encourage anyone who wants to vote by absentee ballot in the upcoming General Election to request the ballot early. In our Fall Newsletter, you’ll find an Absentee Ballot application form with instructions. All you need is an envelope and a stamp. Once completed and signed, you can return the form to the Division of Elections by fax, email, or by mail. You'll want to be sure to supply the address where you currently receive mail, as the Post Office cannot forward ballots.

After completing and signing the application, please return it to:

Division of Elections Absentee and Petition Office

2525 Gambell Street, Suite 105

Anchorage, AK 99503

You can contact the Alaska Division of Elections Absentee and Petition Office for assistance by calling 907-270-2700 or emailing akabsentee@alaska.gov.

Absentee Ballot Dates & Deadlines

10/24/2020 Deadline for Division of Elections to receive absentee by-mail applications.
11/2/2020 Deadline for Division of Elections to receive absentee by electronic transmission ballot applications.
11/3/2020 *Election Day—Absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by 11/3.

For information on the absentee ballot: http://www.elections.alaska.gov/Core/votingbymail.php.

To track the status of your absentee application at: myvoterinformation.alaska.gov.

Paperless

You can also request an absentee ballot by filling out an Online Absentee Ballot Application. You must have a valid Alaska Driver's License or State ID to use this option.

Returning your Absentee Ballot

Once you receive your absentee ballot, follow the directions carefully and sign where indicated. For your ballot to be counted, you will need one witness signature or your ballot must be notarized. Return your completed ballot to any Division of Elections Office or Mail Ballot Drop Box as soon as possible. If you mail your ballot, USPS recommends doing so no later than October 27. You must provide your own postage (one 55 cent stamp or Forever stamp). If you would rather drop off your ballot, secure drop boxes will be available at:

City Hall: 632 West 6th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501
Begich Middle School: 7440 Creekside Center Drive, Anchorage, AK 99504
Elections Office: 2525 Gambell St, Suite 105 Anchorage, AK 99503
O'Malley's on the Green: 3651 O'Malley Rd, Anchorage, AK 99507

You can drop off your ballot at any of these locations starting October 5 and ending on November 3 (Election Day) at 8:00 PM.