Alaska Election Officials Blame Mail Delivery for Uncounted Ballots

Seventy-five absentee in-person ballots cast by voters in rural western Alaska communities arrived too late to be counted in last month's primary election, officials said.

The Alaska Division of Elections attributed the situation to a "mail delivery delay" affecting voters in seven communities. Kotzebue, Igiugig, and Naknek accounted for 62 of the ballots that did not arrive in time. A spokesperson for the division did not provide further details regarding the nature of the delay.

In response to inquiries about the uncounted Alaska ballots, a U.S. Postal Service spokesperson stated that "any number of factors" can impact mail delivery timeliness. The spokesperson added that without reviewing the specific mailpieces, the Postal Service could not comment further but would continue to cooperate with Alaska election officials.

The state's election rules permit absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they are received up to 10 days after the election. However, this grace period was insufficient in these cases. Officials noted that mail delays have impacted the full counting of ballots from some villages in previous years.

Many Alaska communities are not connected to the state's road system, making air service a critical component for transporting voting materials and ballots to and from remote areas.

Michelle Sparck, director of Get Out the Native Vote, described the 75 uncounted ballots as a "measurable loss in participation." She expressed concern that such experiences can increase voter apathy and reinforce a perception that votes do not count.

Sparck's organization supports the Division of Elections' decision to reroute absentee in-person ballots from western Alaska from the regional office in Nome to Anchorage. She called this a practical adjustment to address the realities of transporting election materials from rural Alaska, where mail delays can prevent timely ballot processing.

Sallyann Hughes, a resident of the village of Naknek, reported voting absentee in-person on August 5, thirteen days before the primary. She later received notification that her ballot had not arrived on time. Hughes stated her disappointment, emphasizing that she had made an extra effort to vote and intended for her vote to be counted.

Hughes plans to vote via an electronically delivered absentee ballot for the upcoming general election, as she will be out of state. She intends to download, print, obtain a witness signature, and then personally take the ballot to the post office to ensure it is postmarked in her presence before mailing it with tracking.