Letters to the editor
Published 1:30 am Friday, July 31, 2026
Get out the vote
As the November elections approach, we are reminded that democracy depends on participation. Voting is one of the most important ways citizens can make their voices heard and help shape the future of our country. But civic engagement should not stop at casting our own ballots. Each of us can play an important role in motivating others to vote as well.
An effective way to do this is by sending postcards out to registered voters who don’t always participate in elections. An easy way to do this is by using Activate America to send postcards to prospective voters.
The Activate America website (https://activateamerica.vote) provides free of charge lists of names and addresses of prospective voters to send postcards to, and a short script to write on the postcards that encourages the receiver of the postcards to vote for candidates that will put the people of our country first, not corporations and the wealthy.
We all benefit when more citizens take part in the democratic process. Higher voter participation strengthens our communities and ensures that a broader range of voices are represented.
This November, let us encourage one another to stay informed, participate respectfully, and make voting a shared civic responsibility. Democracy works best when everyone has a chance to be heard.
Chris Sadler
Check your voter registration
The Alaska primary election is just a few weeks away, on Aug. 18. This is a very pivotal election. I would advise every voter in the State of Alaska to check their voter registration.
Here’s why — according to recent reporting, the Dunleavy administration removed 3,500 Alaskans from the state voter rolls. You may be one of those people. Also, in December 2025, Dunleavy’s administration provided the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) with a complete list of eligible registered voters in the state. What Washington D.C, and the DOJ has done, or will do, with our information, including names, dates of birth, residential addresses and driver’s license numbers or last four of your Social Security numbers, we do not know.
Now is the time to check your voter information and make any necessary changes or corrections. It’s easy to check, simply go to the Alaska Division of Elections Voter Portal; scroll down; it asks for last name, first name and mailing city. That’s it! You can do this any time, any place. The website also provides information about your polling place.
Ann Sugrue
