Ten rural Alaska communities can now vote in person on Election Day

Ten small Alaska communities will be able to vote in person on Nov. 3, not only in the weeks leading up to it.

None of the ten has a regular polling place. They are Permanent Absentee Voting communities, where the state designates one building and staffs it with a local absentee voting official, and residents cast absentee ballots there in person. Until now that window closed before Election Day arrived.

The communities are False Pass, Igiugig, Nanwalek, Nikolski, Oscarville, Perryville, Pilot Point, Pitka's Point, Port Alsworth and Port Graham. All are in the election region run out of Nome, and the Division of Elections said more may be added as other communities confirm they can staff Election Day.

The change came from the officials who run those buildings. After the August primary, they passed along the questions voters had been asking about absentee voting on Election Day.

August did not go smoothly in that region. About 75 absentee in-person ballots arrived too late to be counted, and the division is routing this election's ballots through Anchorage as a result. The Nome office also failed to open at its advertised 10 am start on the first day of early voting. The Alaska Federation of Natives, Cook Inlet Tribal Council and First Alaskans Institute called afterward for action on rural precinct staffing.

Voting in the ten communities opens Oct. 19. Ballots have to be at a voting location by 8 pm on Election Day. The regional office takes questions at 907-443-5285 or 1-866-953-8683.