In June, the Alaska Division of Elections reported that 75 absentee in‑person ballots cast in remote western communities arrived too late to be counted in the June primary. The ballots came from seven villages, with Kotzebue, Igiugig and Naknek accounting for the bulk of the missed votes.
Mail delivery delays identified as cause
The division blamed a “mail delivery delay” for the shortfall. Absentee in‑person ballots are mailed to a regional office – in this case, Nome – for verification before being counted. The Alaska officials did not disclose the specific nature of the delay, but a U.S. Postal Service spokesperson said that a variety of factors can affect delivery speed.
“Without a review of the actual mailpieces involved, the Postal Service is unable to comment further,” said Nikolaj Hagen, a Postal Service spokesperson. He added that the agency will continue to work closely with Alaska election officials to improve communication and coordination.
State response and procedural change
Recognizing the logistical challenges of moving ballots across vast, road‑less terrain, the Division of Elections announced it will reroute future absentee in‑person ballots from western Alaska to the regional office in Anchorage, the state’s largest city, rather than to Nome. Michelle Sparck, director of Get Out the Native Vote, praised the adjustment as a practical response to the realities of transporting election materials in remote areas.
“This is a practical adjustment to the realities of transporting election materials from rural Alaska, where mail delays can prevent valid ballots from being processed on time,” Sparck said.
Impact on voters
One affected voter, Sallyann Hughes of Naknek, mailed her ballot on August 5, more than a week before the primary, only to learn later that it had not arrived in time. “I was quite unpleased,” Hughes said. She plans to request an electronic absentee ballot for the upcoming general election, which she will print, obtain a witness signature, and mail with tracking.
The state’s current rule allows absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day to be mailed from within the United States for up to ten days after the election. However, as the 2022 primary demonstrated, that grace period is not always sufficient for remote villages.
Broader context
Alaska joins other western states, such as Washington and Oregon, that have seen a sharp rise in ballots rejected for late postmarks this year. The U.S. Postal Service finalized a rule last year stating that a postmark reflects the date a piece of mail is processed at a USPS facility, not necessarily the date the agency first took possession of it.
Postmaster General David Steiner has encouraged early voting in the upcoming midterm elections, urging voters to submit ballots well before deadlines to avoid similar issues.
Looking ahead
By shifting ballot processing to Anchorage, Alaska hopes to reduce future delays and ensure that every eligible Alaskan, especially those in isolated villages, can have their voices heard. The change underscores the importance of reliable communication and transportation infrastructure for a state where many communities rely on air service rather than road connections.
Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.
