The Alaska Division of Elections and the League of Women Voters have a plan to boost voter registration ahead of this fall’s elections.<\/p>\n
But first, they’re going to prison.<\/p>\n
On July 10, two volunteers from the Juneau chapter of the League of Women Voters visited Lemon Creek Correctional Center with Charity Coleman of the Alaska Division of Elections to allow inmates to register for this fall’s elections and request absentee ballots.<\/p>\n
“We didn’t know if we’d see one or none or 30 or whatever,” said carolyn Brown, one of the volunteers.<\/p>\n
They ended up talking to three men, one of whom needed an absentee ballot.<\/p>\n
It was a small turnout, but it was a significant demonstration by both the league and the division, which are trying to reach a relative handful of residents not already registered under existing programs.<\/p>\n
“I think even if we touch one person, it’s worth that,” said Lauri Wilson, elections supervisor for Southeast Alaska.<\/p>\n
Thanks to the new PFD voter registration program and the longtime efforts of groups like the League of Women Voters, the vast majority of Alaskans who can vote are already registered.<\/p>\n
According to state figures, Alaska had 541,821 registered voters on July 3. There are about 548,000 Alaskans who are 18 or older, according to the Alaska Department of Labor.<\/p>\n
The biggest gaps are on the fringes: Teenagers turning 18 and felons finishing their punishment.<\/p>\n
Under the Alaska Constitution, a felon convicted of a crime involving “moral turpitude” loses his or her right to vote until their sentence is over. (That includes probation, too.) When that person is unconditionally released, they’re eligible to vote again but aren’t automatically registered — they have to re-register.<\/p>\n