To vote in Alaska a person must be:

• a citizen of the United States;
• at least 18 years old;
• a resident of Alaska and the election district for at least thirty days just before the election;
• registered at least thirty days before the election; and
• not registered in more than one district.

The State and Federal governments conduct elections every two years. Your local city or borough will conduct its own separate election.

Depending on the election cycle, you will be voting for the U.S. President, Alaska Senators and Representative, Alaska judges and legislators, or municipal officials. There may also be important public issues on the ballot.

Once registered, you will receive an Official Election Pamphlet in the mail that contains all the information about what is on the ballot. It can also be accessed online at elections.alaska.gov. It is important to learn about this information before you vote.

Judges do not run in contested elections in Alaska. They are initially appointed based on merit by the Governor. However, according to the Constitution, Alaska voters can vote to “retain” or “not retain” a sitting judge. The sitting judges are evaluated very thoroughly every several years, and the Judicial Council makes a recommendation to the voters that the judge should be retained or not retained. This information is included in the Official Election Pamphlet and can also be reviewed in depth at the Judicial Council website at ajc.state.ak.us.

No. You cannot register at the polls.  You must be registered at least 30 days before the election.

Yes. For federal and state elections, you may apply for an absentee ballot by following the instructions on the website of the Alaska Division of Elections.

City and borough elections are conducted by the local government.  To vote an absentee ballot in these elections, apply directly through your city or borough clerk.