As Alaska election results continue to trickle in, there's already some optimism around the number of Indigenous voters who went to the polls on Tuesday.
Michelle Sparck is the director of Get Out the Native Vote, a statewide voter education organization. She said the organization partnered with tribes, Native corporations, local governments and community groups this year to educate voters and help them get to the polls. They also offered language assistance in Iñupiaq, Tagalog and several dialects of Yup'ik.
“We did an unprecedented push, and I think those numbers are going to make a difference,” Sparck said.
Ballots are still being counted, and the state’s election results are unofficial. But Sparck said several tribal communities are already showing great turnout numbers for the midterms.
South Naknek in the Bristol Bay region more than doubled its turnout compared to the general election in 2024. Turnout in Elim in the Bering Strait Region region, was higher than 61%, and more than 71% turned out in Klukwan in Southeast.
“If one community can do it, so can so many others,” Sparck said.
Alaska Native voters make up around 20% of the state’s population, according to the Alaska Federation of Natives. But Sparck said turnout has been low for decades. Only about 30% of Alaska Native voters showed up to the polls in 2024.
All Alaska polling sites opened on Election Day this week, according to the Alaska Division of Elections. But some rural absentee voting sites failed to open before the midterms, an issue common in Alaska villages.
In 2024, two polling stations in rural Alaska never opened, and two opened late in 2022.
This year, one big mobilization push took place at the annual Alaska Federation of Natives convention. Sparck said more than 2,500 people cast their ballots early at Anchorage City Hall, across the street from the convention.
AFN attendees could also file for a new passport or ID.
“It kind of went viral,” she said. “I was like, these lines are bonkers, and everybody and their uncle are getting their passports. ”
Sparck said there is a lot left to do to address structural issues with voting in rural Alaska, where polling sites often open late and ballots get rejected at a higher rate. She said the organization has several ideas for improvements, and continuing to engage residents to make access to voting more consistent is a major step.
This year’s election results are scheduled to be certified Nov. 25.
