Accessible Voting in Alaska
For the Tuesday, November 8, 2022 General Election in Alaska
- You must be registered to vote.
- All voters can request a ballot by mail.
- Early voting locations are open before Election Day
- All voters can use an accessible vote-by-mail system.
- All voters are asked to show a photo ID.
Accessible Voting Tips
As a voter with a disability, you have a right to vote privately and independently, at an accessible voting location, on an accessible voting system.
If you need more information or assistance using your right to vote, these organizations can help
- Visit your state Disabled Voter Assistance page or call (907) 465-4611 for the options available in your state.
- Contact your local election office for help voting and details about local support for accessible voting.
- Your local Center for Independent Living has information and other support.
- Call your state National Disability Rights Network (NRDN) Protection & Advocacy office if someone is interfering with your right to vote.
- If you are a first-time voter or moved recently, check the voter ID requirements in your state. VoteRiders has information about the types of identification accepted.
- You can also call 1-800-OUR-VOTE to report any problems voting.
Your rights
As a voter with a disability, you have a right to:
- Vote privately and independently
- At an accessible polling place
- Using an accessible voting system
If you need assistance you can:
- Ask an election worker, or
- Bring someone to help you
You may request your local election officials to tell you about any voting aids, voting assistance, and absentee ballot procedures that are available.
Election officials must make any reasonable accommodations you need to vote. This might include
- A place to sit if you have trouble standing
- A quiet, private place to vote
You cannot be refused the right to vote because an election worker thinks your disability means you are not qualified to vote.
Open the sections on this page to learn more about accessible options for early voting, voting in person on election day, and voting by mail.
Accessible voting features in Alaska for voters with disabilities
- Sign up each year to receive a ballot by mail for all elections
- Check with your local election office to see if an accessible vote-by-mail system is available
Ask your local election office about other support for accessible voting, like:
- Election and voting information in large print, audio, or Braille versions.
- Curbside or drive-up voting, so you don’t have to get out of your car.
- Ballot delivery to your home or a “ride to the polls” program.
- An opportunity to practice using the accessible voting system.
- Emergency voting options if you are hospitalized or ill.
- How to get assistance in marking and casting your ballot.
- Other services or assistance for voters with disabilities.
Learn more about the laws that protect your rights
Early voting is voting in person before Election Day, which is usually less crowded than going to vote on Election Day itself. There are different kinds of early voting, so check the options available for you. They might include:
- vote centers where you can vote at any location in your jurisdiction
- super polling places where you are assigned a location
- voting at an elections office or satellite office
- in-person absentee, where you go to an elections office, get your mail ballot, and then mark and cast it in the office.
Early voting is called in-person absentee voting in Alaska.
October 24 through November 7, early voting is available at early voting locations.
Early voting hours and locations can vary. Check with your local elections office.
- All voters are asked to show a photo ID.
- You can drop off your ballot at all early voting locations for your jurisdiction.
Find an early voting center near you.
When you vote in person on Election Day, you go to a voting center to mark and cast your ballot in person. Every in-person voting location is required to have accessible voting systems available.
Polling places are open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.
- All voters are asked to show a photo ID.
- You can drop off your mail ballot at all Election Day voting locations.
You can drop off your mail ballot at your local elections office on Election Day.
Find your polling place.
Accessible voting systems for in-person voting
The accessible voting systems used in Alaska are shown below. Contact your local election office for more information or a change to practice using the system you will vote on.
Dominion ImageCast Precinct BMD
A ballot marking device.
It has a touchscreen and audio tactile controls on a small keypad.
The ballot is printed and then cast at a scanner.
The printed ballot is a facsimile of a hand-marked paper ballot.
Learn more about using the Dominion ICP
Dominion ImageCast X (DRE)
A voting system where votes are recorded electronically.
It has a touchscreen, audio, and tactile controls on a small keypad.
May include a paper audit trail (VVPAT), printed and viewed behind glass.
Learn more about using Dominion ICX These videos cover the use of this system as a ballot marking device
- Short video tutorial from Pennsylvania (YouTube 2:32)
- Short video tutorial from Sacramento (YouTube 3:40)
- Longer instructional video from Michigan (YouTube 15:16)
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Voting by mail can be an accessible option for voters with disabilities. It lets you vote at home, so you can mark, verify and return a paper ballot privately and independently. Some states have emergency options if you are hospitalized or ill. |
Deadline to return your ballot:
Postmarked by Election Day, November 8 and received by November 18 for mailed ballots.
How to get your ballot
- All voters can request a ballot.
- Voters can sign up to receive a ballot request for all elections in a year.
To get your ballot you can:
- Request a ballot online.
- Download, print, and mail a request form.
- Return the request form by email or fax.
- You must provide the number from your state-issued photo ID, such as your driver's license.
- If you don't have a state-issued photo ID, you can use your Social Security Number.
How to return your ballot
By mail
At your local elections office
At a voting location on Election Day
At an early voting location
Make sure your ballot counts! Remember...
If you mail your ballot, make sure it is postmarked by Election Day.
Put enough postage on the envelope.
Make sure your ballot is sealed in the envelope.
Sign the form on the envelope.
Have a witness sign the form on the envelope.
- Voters with disabilities can appoint someone to return their ballot for them. Contact your local elections office for more information.
- If someone helped you, have them complete the form for assistants.
Learn about accessible voting by mail options in the next card.
Accessible voting by mail allows voters with disabilities to mark a mail-in ballot electronically, using their own technology and assistive tools.
To use accessible tools for voting by mail, typically voters:
- Download an electronic ballot to mark using personal technology
- Print the ballot and any signature form
- Seal the ballot in an envelope
- Return it by mail or to a ballot drop off locatoin
Some states allow electronic return by email, fax, or a secure portal.
There is a statewide accessible vote by mail program in Alaska called Online Ballot Delivery
- You can use accessible vote by mail if you are a registered voter.
You can apply for online ballot delivery from 15 days before Election Day to 5:00pm on the day before Election Day.
- You will receive an email within 2 days after you apply.
- You can track the status of your application and ballot at the My Voter Information webpage.
Deadline to return your ballot:
Postmarked by Election Day, November 8 and received by November 18 for mailed ballots.
Returning a printed ballot
To return a printed ballot:
- Print the marked ballot and check it to be sure it is marked correctly
- Voter Certificate and Identification sheet
- Seal the ballot in an envelope
To return your ballot, you can:
- By mail
Returning your ballot electronically
You have the option for electronic ballot return:
- By fax
The systems in use in Alaska for accessible voting by mail are:
Dominion ImageCast Remote
Accessible system for voting by mail.
Creates a summary list-style ballot with warnings about missed opportunities to make a selection.
Ballot is downloaded for return as a PDF file.
Learn more about using ImageCast Remote
- Product Brochure (PDF)
Learn more about accessible voting options in Alaska