State of Alaska > Division of Election > Voting Information
Registering To Vote and Voting
How do I register to vote?
You can register to vote in Alaska by completing a Voter Registration Application and presenting it in person to the Division of Elections, a voter registrar in your community, a city or borough clerk, or a voter registration agency (DMV, Health and Social Services, Community and Economic Development, recruitment offices of the armed forces of the United States located in Alaska). You may also simply mail it to a Division of Elections office.
Click here for more voter qualification information and a Voter Registration Application that can be downloaded and printed from your computer.
I moved and need to update my voter registration record. How do I do that?
You can change your registration record on the same form that is used for an original registration. See the previous question for more information.
What is the deadline for registering to vote in an election?
30 days before an election. One exception is for an Incorporation Election: a voter must be registered 30 days before the Director of Elections signs the Order and Notice of Election.
How long do I have to live in Alaska to register to vote?
If you are in Alaska, you can register to vote as soon as you arrive as long as you intend to remain here and have the intent to return when you leave. However, you cannot vote for state or local candidates or issues until you have been registered for 30 days.
If you are registering by mail from outside Alaska, you must provide proof of Alaska residency (for example, a current Alaska driver's license, fish and game license, military leave and earnings statement that identifies Alaska as the applicant's state of legal residence). The document must be in the applicant's name.
Who can vote?
A person may vote at any election who:
- is a citizen of the United States,
- is 18 years of age or older,
- has been a resident of the state and of the election district in which the person seeks to vote for at least 30 days just before the election,
- has registered before the election registration deadline, and
- is not registered to vote in another jurisdiction.
How do I become an Alaska resident?
You ARE a resident for voting purposes if you are in Alaska with the intent to remain here and have the intent to return when you leave, and are not registered to vote in another state or are willing to cancel that registration. This DOES NOT mean that you meet residency requirements for other state agencies and programs. Other agencies or organizations can have different criteria to define Alaska residency.
I am an Alaska resident temporarily living in another state. My spouse has never lived in Alaska. Is my spouse a resident because I am? Can my spouse register to vote in Alaska?
The answer to both questions is, no. An Alaska resident's spouse or child must establish residency in Alaska on their own. If a person has never been in Alaska, residency cannot be claimed.
I was convicted of a felony, but have served my time and am on probation. Can I register to vote?
No. A convicted felon may not register to vote unless unconditionally discharged from custody. When you are no longer on probation, a copy of your discharge papers will allow you to register.
Can I register to vote before I am 18?
You can register 90 days before you turn 18, but you must be eighteen on election day or before in order to vote.
Do I have to register to vote to receive a Permanent Fund Dividend?
No, but being registered to vote helps establish Alaska residency.
What is my district and precinct number?
The numbers are shown on your voter ID card; district number followed by your precinct number.
To find your polling place, call 1-888-383-8683, or 269-8683, you will need to have your voter ID or Social Security number ready.
If you know your precinct number, find your polling place >
If you are not sure what district you are in, find your district here >
What is my voter number?
This is a unique number assigned only to you and can be found on your voter ID card.
I can't remember when I first registered to vote.
Contact the regional election office in your area and they can research your voter record.
I have a Power of Attorney for my wife. Can I register or vote for her?
Yes. Registration may be made in person before a registration official or through a voter
registration agency by another individual on behalf of the voter if the voter has
executed a written power of attorney specifically authorizing that other
individual to register the voter. The individual with the Power of Attorney will be required to submit the following documentation:
- A copy of his or her identification
- A copy of the Power of Attorney authorizing the individual to act on your behalf for voter registration purposes.
Is my voter record confidential?
Portions of your voter record are confidential: voter number, social security number, date of birth, place of birth, phone numbers.
Where do I vote?
To find your polling place, call 1-888-383-8683,
or 269-8683, you will need to have your
voter ID or Social Security number ready.
If you know your precinct number, find your polling place >
If you are not sure what district you are in, find your district here >
Do you have a record of my party preference?
Yes. It is public information and is printed on all voter lists.
What are your definitions of "undeclared," "non-partisan," and "other" on the voter registration application?
A person whose party affiliation is "undeclared" may be associated with a political party, but does not care to declare which one.
A person whose party affiliation is "non-partisan" doesn't have preferences for one party or another.
A person who has marked "other" as their party affiliation, is associated with a party that is not a recognized political party in the State of Alaska.
When are voter identification cards mailed?
Voter ID cards are mailed when voters initially register to vote and when voters update their voter registration. Voter cards are mailed out once a month, generally around the second week of the month.
Where do I vote?
Polling places are set up for each voting precinct. Your precinct name and number appear on your voter ID card.
What type of identification do I need at the polling place?
Your signed voter ID card, or any other signed ID that will allow the election worker to verify your signature. Examples are: driver's license, military ID, Indian ID, fish and game license, state ID card, passport, or senior citizen ID card. A picture ID is not necessary.
I need help when I vote. What are my options?
In addition to bilingual assistance in many polling places, the Division of Elections has a TTY communication device for hearing impaired voters, magnifying ballot viewers at the polling places and audio recordings of the General Election Official Election Pamphlet for voters with visual impairments, and accessible polling places.
You may bring someone to help you at the polls. The person you bring may go into the booth with you and assist you with voting. This includes election officials, friends, family members, bystanders, campaign workers and anyone else who is not your employer, an agent of your employer, or officer or agent of your union.
If you had planned on going to your polling place on election day but become ill or are homebound, you can vote by having a personal representative bring you a ballot. If this is inconvenient, you can apply up to seven days before an election for an absentee ballot to be mailed to you.
If your specific type of special services needed are not covered here, please contact an elections office for assistance.
My polling place is in a church and I am not comfortable going there because of my personal convictions. How can I vote?
The Division of Elections strives to enlist polling places that are centrally located, accessible for people with disabilities, and equally convenient to the voters in each precinct. At times, a church is the only building that meets the criteria.
If you are in a town with more than one precinct, you can vote a questioned ballot at any precinct IN YOUR DISTRICT and still have your vote count in full. You can also vote absentee by mail.
If your town has only one precinct/polling place, you can vote absentee by mail and have a ballot mailed to your home address.
Click here for a list of absentee voting locations that may be in your area where you can vote absentee in-person. Click here for more absentee voting information and ballot by-mail request forms.
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