Alaska Native voter participation has sharply declined over recent decades, leading to concerted efforts by advocates like Michelle Sparck, director of Get Out The Native Vote, to reverse this trend.
At the Alaska Federation of Natives convention, Sparck highlighted that in 1982, Native voter turnout reached 66%, driven by key issues on the ballot, but it fell to 28% by 2022, with some regions showing turnout as low as single digits during recent primary elections.
Sparck emphasized the power that Alaska Natives, comprising up to a quarter of the state’s population, could wield if voter turnout were strengthened.
Senator Lisa Murkowski also urged participation, reminding attendees of the pivotal role Native voters played in her 2010 reelection. Yet, logistical and structural challenges persist, particularly in rural areas.
Voting issues include unstaffed or delayed precinct openings, unreliable mail-in ballot delivery, and a state mandate for witness signatures on mail-in ballots, which led to a high rejection rate in 2022.
Efforts to repeal this requirement have stalled in the state legislature, leading some advocates to view it as a form of disenfranchisement.
Sparck noted that beyond rural areas, Native voters are also influential in urban districts like Fairbanks, where their participation may have swayed a recent mayoral race.
Sparck aims to mobilize Native voters across Alaska, asserting that increased turnout could significantly impact legislative responsiveness to Native and rural needs.