2 rural Alaska precincts fail to open for primary voting after workers don’t respond to state

Voters locomotion crossed nan representation of Alaska connected nan level of nan Alaska State Library, Archives and Museum connected Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

Voting stations successful Wales and Kaktovik ne'er opened for nan superior connected Tuesday, according to nan Alaska Division of Elections director. 

“Despite trying aggregate ways to interaction nan canvass workers, nan individuals we had hired for those communities were unresponsive today,” Director Carol Beecher said successful a written consequence to questions.

Voting in Anaktuvuk Pass besides didn’t unfastened for astir of nan day. But Beecher said successful an email astatine 7:42 p.m. — 18 minutes earlier polls closed — that nan section was capable to scope Anaktuvuk Pass Mayor Lillian Stone and officials successful nan municipality opened polls.

“As agelong arsenic group are lined up by 8pm they will beryllium capable to vote,” Beecher wrote. “We are very thankful for Mayor Stone for stepping successful to make judge her residents person nan opportunity to ballot successful person.”

Beecher said successful an earlier email little than an hr earlier polls were scheduled to adjacent astatine 8 p.m. that group successful those communities who are willing successful voting can contact the division. 

In summation to nan 3 precincts that didn’t open, others — including Marshall, Shaktoolik and Diomede — opened astir 3 hours late, astir 10 a.m., Beecher said.

Voting successful Kobuk opened connected Tuesday greeting but closed successful nan day owed to flooding, Beecher said.

“The section hired predetermination workers good earlier predetermination time and provided them each pinch materials and training, but sometimes group get sick aliases discontinue connected short announcement and we must trust connected nan organization to assistance successful making judge a precinct opens connected predetermination day,” she said. 

Similar problems person occurred successful nan past. In nan 2022 superior election, polling stations successful 2 agrarian Alaska communities failed to open because workers grounded to move up.

The commencement of early voting was delayed in respective agrarian communities earlier this period owed to ballots being delayed successful nan mail. In 14 communities, ballots hadn’t arrived 2 days aft nan scheduled Aug. 5 commencement of early voting. 

In 2022, civilian authorities groups sued over ballots rejected successful nan state’s mail-in primary, noting that nan rejection complaint was higher successful areas wherever nan Alaska Native stock of nan organization was higher. That lawsuit is ongoing. 

In addition, location were problems with votes from immoderate agrarian votes being counted successful some nan superior and wide elections successful 2022. Votes from six villages, totaling 259 ballots, were only partially counted because they didn’t get earlier nan authorities certified nan results. And successful nan 2022 primary, which was besides nan U.S. House typical election, votes from 7 villages weren’t counted because they didn’t get successful time.