Do you want to have a say in who will be your next representative in Juneau? Sunday, Oct. 9 is the deadline for Alaskans to register to vote in the Nov. 8 election.
On next month’s ballot will be candidates for governor — incumbent Mike Dunleavy, Les Gara, Charlie Pierce and Bill Walker — as well as their respective lieutenant governor candidates. Voters throughout the state will also pick their next state lawmakers, who will represent them in the Alaska Legislature.
On the central Kenai Peninsula, Soldotna City Council member Justin Ruffridge is challenging incumbent Rep. Ron Gillham to represent State House District 7, which includes Kenai and Soldotna. Incumbent Rep. Ben Carpenter is running unopposed for reelection to State House District 8, which includes the northern Kenai Peninsula from Nikiski to Moose Pass.
Alaska Sen. President Peter Micciche, who represents Kenai and Soldotna in the Alaska Senate, announced earlier this year that he would not seek reelection to the seat. Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly member and teacher Jesse Bjorkman is running against Tuckerman Babcock, who is Dunleavy’s former chief of staff, and Andy Cizek for the seat.
Also on the ballot will be candidates for federal office, including those for U.S. senator and U.S. representative. In the U.S. Senate race, incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski is running against Kelly Tshibaka, Patricia Chesbro and Buzz Kelley. In the U.S. House race, incumbent Rep. Mary Peltola is running against former Gov. Sarah Palin and Nick Begich III.
Peltola, who is currently serving in Alaska’s at-large U.S. House seat, won a special election in August through which she will finish out the term of the late Rep. Don Young, who died earlier this year.
Alaskans will also vote on whether or not to hold a statewide constitutional convention, a process that voters get to decide on every 10 years. Proponents of the convention say decennial review of the document was the intention of the original drafters, while opponents say a convention would open the document to outside influence and potentially threaten existing freedoms for Alaskans.
In addition to the affirmative vote needed for the convention to occur, any proposed changes to the Alaska Constitution would also need to be approved by voters, which proponents of a convention say is one of the safeguards against unwanted changes.
People looking to register to vote or to update their voter registration information can access resources on the Alaska Division of Elections website at elections.alaska.gov. Online voter registration can be accessed at voterregistration.alaska.gov.
Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.
