By SUZANNE DOWNING
July 13, 2026 – Time is running out for Alaskans who want to vote in this year’s primary election but have not yet registered or need to update their voter registration.
The deadline to register to vote for Alaska’s Aug. 18 primary election is Sunday, July 19 — just seven days away. Under Alaska law, voters must be registered by the deadline in order to participate in the primary election.
Eligible Alaskans can register online in just a few minutes if they have a current Alaska driver’s license or state identification card. The online system also allows voters to update their address, party affiliation, or other registration information.
More information about registering is available through the Alaska Division of Elections Voter Information page.
Alaskans can also verify that their registration is current before Election Day by using the state’s online voter portal:
If your registration cannot be found, the Division of Elections advises checking that your name is spelled exactly as it appears on your registration and that you are using the same mailing city listed on your most recent voter registration application. Voters who continue to have problems can contact the Division directly.
Division of Elections Contact Information
To register to vote in Alaska, a person must:
- Be a U.S. citizen.
- Be an Alaska resident.
- Be at least 18 years old by Election Day.
- Not be disqualified because of a felony involving moral turpitude unless voting rights have been restored.
- Not be registered to vote in another state unless willing to cancel that registration.
To vote in the Aug. 18 primary, a person must also have been a resident of Alaska and of the election district in which they are voting for at least 30 days before the election and must have registered by the July 19 deadline.
For voting purposes, Alaska considers a person a resident if they live in the state and intend to remain here or, if temporarily away, intend to return. Active-duty military members, their spouses, and dependents are exempt from the intent-to-return requirement.
Because Alaska’s Permanent Fund Dividend application automatically initiates voter registration, some non-citizens may have received voter registration cards in error. The state advises anyone who is not a US citizen but is registered to vote to contact the Division of Elections and cancel the registration. Naturalized US citizens are eligible to vote, but non-citizen US nationals are not.
Those who prefer not to register online may do so in person at numerous locations throughout Alaska, including Division of Elections offices, DMV offices, Legislative Information Offices, participating tribal government offices, city and borough clerk offices, participating public libraries, voter registrars, and other designated voter registration agencies. Paper registration forms are also available and may be submitted by mail, fax, or email with a copy of an acceptable identification document, such as an Alaska driver’s license, state ID, passport, or birth certificate.
The approaching deadline comes as Alaska prepares for a closely watched primary election that will feature races for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, the Legislature, and judicial retention questions.
One aspect of Alaska’s voter eligibility that has generated concern is a federal absentee voting provision affecting certain US citizens born overseas who have never lived in the United States. Under federal and state laws, some of these citizens may be eligible to vote absentee based on a parent’s last state of residence, even if they have never physically lived in that state. The issue has been the subject of legal and political discussions nationwide.
Over the coming days, The Alaska Story will provide links and information to help voters focus on the decisions before them. Early voting in Alaska will begin on Aug. 4.
