The Alaska Division of Elections has returned the second voting location to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. It was removed during the Covid pandemic policies that drove many consequential decisions leading up to the 2022 election.
“Thirty-seven precinct polling locations in District 14, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21 and 22, as well as the other three District 18 precinct polling locations are geographically closer to the JBER Elmendorf side voters than their current Precinct 18-555 polling location at Ursa Minor Elementary School. No other Anchorage voters north of Tudor Road are required to travel two miles to cast their ballot. The 14.5 mile JBER’s Elmendorf side to Ursa Minor Elementary round-trip drive time for on-duty military personnel exceeds 30 minutes,” said election expert and former Alaska Republican Party Chairman Randy Ruedrich, earlier this year.
“I want to thank the Division of Elections for giving our military members equal opportunity to vote. They have difficult work schedules and to allow them to vote before, during, or after work — they deserve that opportunity. If they have to go all the way to Muldoon, they are not going to have time. It’s the least we can do for these men and women — and their families — who have volunteered to serve our nation,” said Rep. Jamie Allard. “Eagle River House District 23 has the highest military-per-capita in the state.”
The division also adopted regulation changes in Title 6 of the Alaska Administrative Code, including clarification on the required forms of identification provided by voters, spoiled ballots, clean-up language, and new precinct boundaries.
The regulations concern changes to state elections requirements, including updates to the Guide for Poll Watchers and Registrar Handbook; clarifications on matters of voter registration, declarations of candidacy, identification on voter registration forms, and recount costs; and process updates concerning removal of a candidate from a special election ballot, how a candidate may change a designation or affiliation information, withdrawal of a write-in candidate, and the replacement of a candidate for governor or lieutenant governor if a candidacy becomes vacant before a primary election.
Other changes update the standards concerning complaints and investigations of candidate eligibility, numerical ordering of candidates on a ballot, registration for absentee by mail voting; statements supporting or rejecting a proposition or constitutional convention question; regional educational attendance area (REAA) elections; and Division of Elections office locations for purposes of REAA elections. New sections of code have been added dealing with special needs ballots and aligning spoiled ballot requirements with statute.
Notably, Precinct 18-555 JBER has been returned into two precincts – 18-555 JBER #1 and 18-556 JBER #2 – to allow for in-person polling places on both the Fort Richardson and Elmendorf sides of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. This change will be in effect for the upcoming election cycle and will provide our military members residing on JBER with better access to in-person voting, the Division said in a memo.
The division will notify registered voters in the new precincts of the change and provide updated voter cards.
The regulations take effect on July 11, 2024. A copy of the regulation filing and associated documents can be found at this link.
