Alaska

Election reforms are on the agenda for Alaska lawmakers this year

Published

11 months ago

January 23, 2025

Election reforms are on the agenda for Alaska lawmakers this year

JUNEAU, Alaska (KTUU) – The Alaska Legislature will take up election reform proposals this session, with Gov. Mike Dunleavy introducing a bill through the House, and the Senate majority caucus planning to introduce its own reforms later this week, according to Corinne Smith with the Alaska Beacon.

The legislation is in response to a range of issues and complaints around Alaska’s elections last year, including concerns around delays in ballot counting and transparency, election security, and problems with staffing, absentee ballots, and long lines at some polling places.

Dunleavy introduced a bill through the House on Wednesday, House Bill 63, proposing new rules for, among others, voter registration, voting by mail, voting and counting timelines.

“This bill is a necessary step to ensure the integrity and transparency of our election process while addressing Alaskans’ concerns about reliability,” Dunleavy said in a prepared statement on Wednesday. “By modernizing our election code, we can provide a more efficient and trustworthy system for voters and election officials alike.”

The bill also would put new limits on voting time.

All ballots would have to be received by the state Division of Elections by Election Day, under the new legislation, when currently they just have to be postmarked and mailed by that day. It would shorten early voting time, which opens 15 days prior to and ends on Election Day. Under the bill, it would close five days before Election Day.

The bill would eliminate the automatic voter registration process when applying for the Permanent Fund Dividend. That provision was enacted in 2016, when Alaskans passed a ballot measure to allow voter registration during the application process.

For vote by mail, it would provide postage for all absentee ballots being mailed in. It would allow ballot counting by the Division of Elections to begin sooner, up to 10 days before the election. It would also create an option for communities with less than 750 people to opt for all by-mail voting for their elections.

The bill was introduced in the House on Wednesday, and referred to the state affairs and finance committees.

On the Senate side, the new majority, made up of a coalition of Democratic and Republican senators, is set to put forth an election reform bill focused on a range of issues, including streamlining the voting process and expanding access for voters.

The bill is scheduled to be introduced in the Senate on Friday, but Anchorage Democratic Sen. Bill Wielechowski discussed the upcoming bill on Wednesday.

“First off, it addresses the fact that you have 106% more registered voters in the state of Alaska than you do citizens,” Wielechowski said. “There’s unusual reasons for that, but we’re really making an effort to try to clean up the voter rolls, because that’s been a big concern for many people.”

For mail-in ballots, the bill would also pay for postage for all ballots, and eliminate the witness signature requirement for absentee ballots, which Wielechowski said isn’t verified and has disqualified ballots unnecessarily.

“So I think a lot of Alaskans are surprised and kind of shocked that there’s this bureaucratic kind of roadblock,” he said. “And that ends up disqualifying hundreds, if not thousands of Alaskans for something that they don’t even check.”

The bill would establish a ballot tracking barcodes for absentee ballots, and a system for review. If there’s a mistake on a ballot, the bill would create an easier process for corrections, he said. “We’re trying to allow for ballot curing, which is, if you make a mistake on a ballot, the Division of Elections can notify you, and you can fix it.”

“We heard stories this past year about somebody who made a mistake on their ballot. It was identified on their absentee ballot. It was identified before the election, and they couldn’t fix it. Everybody knew there was a mistake and unfortunately, his ballot was just discounted. Yeah, so we’re trying to fix things like that.”

To address long lines at polling places, as seen in hours-long lines to vote in Anchorage last year, the bill would require ballot drop boxes be available at each regional office, if feasible, and one per every 20,000 residents.

Wielechowski said the Senate majority would not support some provisions in Dunleavy’s bill, such as eliminating the voter registration process in the PFD application. But he said they would work with the governor on election reform initiatives, as the bills move through the legislative process.

“There were some things that were similar to what we have,” he said. “And our bill is a little bit more expansive, I’d say. But look forward to working with the governor, with the (Senate) minority, and the House, and trying to come up with a solution.”

Election reform is one of the top four priorities laid out by the Senate majority caucus this year, along with education funding, energy and pension reform.

Reporter James Brooks contributed to this article.

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Related Topics:Alaska Legislature Division of Elections dunleavy Election Featured Gov. Mike Dunleavy

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Alaska

Opinion: Why transmission is Alaska’s next big energy project

Published

2 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Press Room

Opinion: Why transmission is Alaska’s next big energy project

The Bradley Lake Dam on the Kenai Peninsula. (NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office)

No matter what kind of energy we produce — natural gas, hydro, wind, solar or other legacy fuels — it is only as useful as our ability to deliver it where it is needed. The electricity we consume relies on the substations and distribution lines in our neighborhoods which is in turn dependent on high-voltage transmission infrastructure — the backbone of every electric grid. Any path forward for Alaska’s energy future depends on strengthening this backbone.

The Railbelt electric transmission system stretches 700 miles from Homer to Fairbanks powering roughly 70 % of Alaskans. Built piecemeal over decades, it remains a patchwork of transmission lines operated by five separate utilities. The resulting system is akin to a string of extension cords — some sturdy, others worn — but inadequate for our current and future needs. This fragmentation drives up costs, reduces reliability, and keeps the lowest-cost power from reaching customers when it is needed most.

Case in point: The cheapest electric energy in the Railbelt is generated by the Bradley Lake Hydroelectric plant near Homer. However, because of transmission bottlenecks, that energy can’t always flow north when demand peaks, forcing utilities to use more expensive fuel. Removing these bottlenecks will give Railbelt consumers full access to Bradley Lake’s clean, low-cost power.

Alaska’s Railbelt utilities and the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) have identified a coordinated, multi-year roadmap to build a reliable, efficient and lower-cost energy backbone for the Railbelt. This plan can be implemented in stages, tackling the most urgent constraints first to deliver savings quickly. Some of this work is already underway.

The Sterling-to-Quartz Creek transmission link on the Kenai Peninsula is undergoing a major upgrade financed through AEA bonds to improve the system’s overall capacity and reliability and reduce power losses. New battery storage projects are also strengthening the grid by providing emergency backup and frequency control. These projects will pay dividends for decades.

In addition, AEA secured $206.5 million from a Department of Energy grant for the next phase of Railbelt modernization. The project will install a high-voltage direct-current submarine cable across Cook Inlet, creating redundancy and increasing capacity so utilities can better access Bradley Lake power. While these federal funds were thought to be in jeopardy in early 2025, they remain available. However, they require a dollar-for-dollar match to move forward.

As steps are taken to allow full access to Bradley Lake’s low-cost power generation, planning is also underway to supply more water to the dam’s generators via the Dixon Diversion project, which will boost power output by up to 50%. Getting more electricity out of existing infrastructure makes sense — especially if we can move that power to end users when they need it. Success with these projects will benefit rural energy users: because the Power Cost Equalization (PCE) program is tied to Railbelt rates, lower cost power on the Railbelt reduces rates across Alaska.

A stronger transmission system will also provide a means for new power generation to supply the Railbelt electric market. Better transmission removes the hurdle of geography, making the entire system more efficient, flexible and affordable — for whatever new generation comes online.

Finally, stronger governance will matter as much as stronger wires. We must also continue the state and utility effort to write fair operating rules for the Railbelt’s shared transmission system to ensure that these investments deliver long-term reliability and affordability for everyone connected to the grid.

Transmission may not be flashy, but it is the foundation of everything else. If we want affordable, reliable power and a stronger economy, we must invest in the infrastructure that makes it possible. What’s needed now is clear state leadership, coordinated utility action, and the backing of Alaskans to move these projects forward.

Gene Therriault served in the Alaska state House of Representatives and Alaska Senate from 1993 to 2009, and is a senior adviser of New Energy Alaska. Subsequent roles include serving as senior energy adviser to Gov. Sean Parnell, vice president of Golden Valley Electric Association and deputy director for statewide energy policy development at the Alaska Energy Authority. He lives in Fairbanks.

Brian Hickey lives in Anchorage and has over 40 years of experience working in construction, engineering and operations in the Alaska Railbelt electric grid. Most recently, he was executive director of Railbelt Regional Coordination and led Railbelt’s joint effort to obtain the $206.5 million Department of Energy grant for AEA. He is also the general manager of Seward Electric Systems in Seward.

• • •

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Alaska

Alaska Sports Scoreboard: Dec. 6, 2025

Published

14 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Press Room

Wrangell’s Alana Harrison, center, huddles with her teammates in a game against Unalaska in the girls volleyball 2A state tournament at Dimond High School on December 4, 2025. (Marc Lester / ADN)

High School

Hockey

Tuesday

Monroe Catholic 8, Lathrop 3

West 3, Wasilla 1

South 2, Dimond 0

Wednesday

North Pole 9, West Valley 6

Delta 6, Monroe Catholic 5

West 1, Chugiak 0

Thursday

Palmer 5, Kenai Central 2

North Pole 8, Colony 2

Friday

Palmer 6, Soldotna 0

West Valley 7, Colony 2

Juneau-Douglas 4, Kenai Central 2

Kodiak 6, Service 3

Dimond 3, Eagle River 0

Saturday

Service 4, Kodiak 3

Juneau-Douglas 8, Kenai Central 2

Palmer 14, Homer 2

Wasilla 6, Chugiak 3

• • •

Volleyball

Thursday

Nelson Island 2, SISD 0 (25-20, 25-15)

Susitna Valley 3, Metlakatla 0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-14)

Martin L Olson 2, Nunamiut 1 (25-14, 23-25, 25-21)

Dillingham 3, Glennallen 1 (19-25, 25-18, 25-17, 25-23)

Shaktoolik 2, Gustavus 1 (25-12, 22-25, 25-15)

Sand Point 3, Tri-Valley 0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-13)

Aniak 2, Emmonak 0 (25-15, 25-11)

Tanalian 2, Nelson Island 0 (25-15, 25-18)

Unalaska 3, Wrangell 0 (25-13, 25-23, 25-20)

Martin L Olson 2, Scammon Bay 0 (25-13, 25-14)

Susitna Valley 3, Dillingham 1 (25-9, 23-25, 25-15, 25-21)

Shaktoolik 2, Anchor Lutheran 0 (25-9, 25-17)

Kisimgiugtuq 2, Aniak 0 (28-25, 25-20)

Unalaska 3, Sand Point 0 (25-16, 25-13, 25-23)

Tanalian’s Erik McGee and Warren Davis reach for a block on Nelson Island’s Gordon Pitka in the mixed six volleyball state tournament at Dimond High School on December 4, 2025. (Marc Lester / ADN)

Friday

Scammon Bay 2, Gustavus 1 (20-25, 25-21, 25-17)

Nelson Island 2, Emmonak 0 (25-23, 25-18)

Metlakatla 3, Glennallen 0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-12)

Aniak 2, SISD 0 (25-16, 25-20)

Nunamiut 2, Anchor Lutheran 0 (25-13, 25-5)

Nunamiut 2, Aniak 0 (25-22, 25-16)

Nelson Island 2, Scammon Bay 1 (25-10, 23-25, 25-0)

Wrangell 3, Tri-Valley 1 (25-27, 25-23, 25-18, 25-10)

Tanalian 3, Martin L Olson 1 (25-13, 8-25, 25-22, 25-23)

Shaktoolik 3, Kisimgiugtuq 0 (25-14, 25-5, 25-15)

Sand Point 3, Metlakatla 0 (25-20, 25-20, 26-24)

Nelson Island 2, Kisimgiugtuq 0 (25-13, 25-10)

Martin L Olson 2, Nunamiut 1 (25-27, 25-16, 26-24)

Tanalian 3, Shaktoolik 1 (25-20, 17-25, 25-19, 25-23)

Unalaska 3, Susitna Valley 1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-22)

Wrangell 3, Dillingham 2 (16-25, 25-21, 25-21, 20-25, 15-9)

Sand Point 3, Wrangell 0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-18)

Saturday

Martin L Olson 2, Nelson Island 0 (25-16, 25-21)

Martin L Olson 2, Shaktoolik 0 (25-22, 25-21)

Susitna Valley 3, Sand Point 1 (25-17, 17-25, 25-21, 25-17)

Tanalian 3, Martin L Olson 1 (27-25, 23-25, 25-22, 28-26)

Unalaska vs. Susitna Valley (Late)

• • •

Wrestling

Tuesday

Dimond 55, Bartlett 47

Boys – 145: Prince Bonilla (5-15), Dimond over Benjamin Fudge (13-14), Bartlett (F 3:48)

Boys – 135: Taven Carbaugh (12-13), Dimond over Aurelius Atwood (4-12), Bartlett (F 5:51)

Boys – 119: Yeng Lao (17-6), Bartlett over Joshawa McCorkle (3-22), Dimond (TF 19-3 (3:03)

Boys – 285: Denver Spencer (17-11), Bartlett over Juan Hernandez (0-0), Dimond (F 1:26)

Boys – 215: Jayce Casarez (10-4), Bartlett over Creed Cvancara (12-5), Dimond (F 3:30)

Boys – 189: Donald Goss (0-4), Bartlett over Tristan Mason (5-23), Dimond (F 4:21)

Boys – 171: Everett Monteil (6-7), Dimond over Alton Drones (4-6), Bartlett (TF 18-1 (4:33)

Boys – 160: Yaroslav Ustymenko (16-16), Dimond over Jonny Larsen (6-6), Bartlett (SV 7-4)

Boys – 152: Keller Jackson (18-6), Dimond over Isiah Anaruk (16-10), Bartlett (F 5:12)

Girls – 126: Nyah O`Neil (17-5), Dimond over Teresa Vicens (8-6), Bartlett (TF 17-2 (3:48)

Girls – 100: Kaylee Kofford (22-6), Bartlett over Aoife Stout (13-7), Dimond (F 3:56)

Chugiak 62, Eagle River 46

Boys – 135: Lukas Nuxall (7-5), Chugiak over Izzak Alonzo (7-18), Eagle River (F 3:59)

Boys – 130: Jacob Driscoll (23-10), Eagle River over Briar Otts (4-8), Chugiak (F 0:56)

Boys – 119: Archer Hicks (17-12), Chugiak over Wyatt Zeiler (14-8), Eagle River (MD 9-1)

Boys – 112: Oliver Dunlavey (13-13), Chugiak over Aiden Smith (7-6), Eagle River (F 0:44)

Boys – 103: Tanner Bailey (16-11), Chugiak over Grant Brunner (14-12), Eagle River (Dec 11-4)

Boys – 215: Braden Ott (16-5), Eagle River over Oliver Stoltze (6-6), Chugiak (F 2:42)

Boys – 189: Bryson Diola (16-1), Eagle River over Morgan Robinson (4-3), Chugiak (F 5:02)

Boys – 171: Elias Rimbert (20-6), Chugiak over Gavin Wiess (27-10), Eagle River (MD 17-5)

Boys – 160: Richard Dunlavey (21-8), Chugiak over Vern Stott (5-11), Eagle River (F 2:34)

Boys – 152: Kamdon Marchant (13-8), Chugiak over Caleb Driscoll (24-15), Eagle River (Dec 9-5)

Boys – 145: Michael Roschi (16-0), Eagle River over Mason Scow (9-12), Chugiak (F 1:46)

Boys – 140: August Rogers (16-17), Eagle River over Brock Baker (2-9), Chugiak (F 4:46)

Girls – 126: Sabreena Otts (29-8), Chugiak over Cheyenne Bobo (0-0), Eagle River (F 2:36)

Girls – 114: Talia Jenkins (22-5), Chugiak over Lillian Dwyer (17-18), Eagle River (F 3:06)

Girls – 107: Rylee Ruggles (17-6), Chugiak over Violet Roschi (29-9), Eagle River (F 5:44)

Girls – 152: Lily Boze (13-10), Eagle River over Ereale Campbell (15-17), Chugiak (Dec 6-0)

South 122, Service 24

Boys – 189: Bohdan Porter (25-4), South over Lucas Witwer (13-17), Service (F 2:00)

Boys – 152: Shane Ostermiller (19-2), South over Lucas Gross (0-1), Service (F 1:25)

Boys – 140: Benson Mishler (21-2), South over Braiden Sanchez (15-9), Service (MD 19-6)

Boys – 135: Shaw Gerondale (20-4), South over Mason Childress (8-10), Service (F 1:36)

Boys – 130: Dylan Frawner (19-6), South over Urijah Eppelsheimer (10-6), Service (TF 16-0 (2:38)

Girls – 152: Savannah Stout (27-2), South over Julie Ishnook (17-13), Service (TF 20-3 (2:21)

Girls – 114: Julia Dunlap (32-6), South over Scarlett Easton (28-12), Service (Dec 8-5)

Girls – 100: Ava Rogers (11-9), South over Rebekah Ellsworth (5-11), Service (Dec 8-1)

West 75, Bettye Davis East 53

Boys – 285: Matt Manumalealii (0-0), West over Jerome Keil-Mano (5-2), East (F 3:29)

Boys – 215: Aiden Luzano (2-8), West over Scottie Saechao (1-0), East (F 0:58)

Boys – 189: Ezekiel Alabado (2-4), East over Declan Gee (7-12), West (Dec 6-4)

Boys – 171: Ryder Thomas (11-7), West over Kalek Donnelly (8-5), East (F 1:00)

Boys – 160: Lucas Starck (15-4), West over Julian Ferreira (7-8), East (F 2:00)

Boys – 152: Liam Ferreira (6-7), East over Chris Espina (4-12), West (Dec 11-8)

Boys – 145: Damien Ambrose (14-9), West over Levi Hanks (2-2), East (F 3:33)

Boys – 140: Ramon armenta (6-3), East over Gage Williams (3-9), West (F 3:56)

Boys – 135: Mason Rhude (7-12), West over Warren Smallwood (4-1), East (SV 13-10)

Boys – 119: Jerriel Medina-Salazar (3-3), West over Eranda Dissanayake (1-0), East (F 4:35)

Boys – 112: Colter Campbell (13-1), East over Juan Rojas Arismendy (11-3), West (TF 19-2 (2:13)

Girls – 165: Kenya-Marie Bruno (17-2), East over Laura Souza (1-4), West (F 0:49)

Girls – 145: Bridey Lee Piscoya (6-10), West over Victoria Orozco (6-4), East (F 3:36)

Girls – 132: Lily Oldham (18-7), West over Aniyah Smalley (5-5), East (F 1:51)

Girls – 120: Ivy Shanklin (3-9), West over Molly Antijunti (0-1), East (F 5:13)

• • •

College

Volleyball

Thursday

UAF 3, UAA 0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-15)

Friday

Point Loma 3, UAF 1 (25-22, 25-20, 20-25, 25-18)

• • •

Women’s basketball

Thursday

Western Oregon 82, UAF 24

Saint Martin’s 69, UAA 60

Saturday

Saint Martin’s 74, UAF 37

Western Oregon 77, UAA 69

• • •

Men’s basketball

Thursday

Saint Martin’s 78, UAA 63

UAF 80, Western Oregon 70

Saturday

Saint Martin’s 66, UAF 56

UAA 64, Western Oregon 56

• • •

Hockey

Friday

Stonehill 3, UAA 2

Saturday

UAA vs. Stonehill (Late)

UAF vs. Grand Canyon (Late)

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Alaska

Howling Mat-Su winds leave thousands without power

Published

1 day ago

December 6, 2025

Press Room

Howling Mat-Su winds leave thousands without power

PALMER — High winds knocked out power for thousands in Mat-Su on Saturday morning with gusts forecast up to 80 mph in places before the weekend ends.

As of 9 a.m., there were nearly 17,000 members without power, according to Matanuska Electric Association. Major outages included Knik-Goose Bay and Fairview Loop roads. Another large outage knocked out more than 2,000 members from Palmer to Hatcher Pass.

There were reports of trees down on some side roads and damaged railroad crossing gates, as well as at least one small brush fire sparked by a downed power line.

By 10 a.m., the Palmer Airport had recorded a gust of 84 mph while the Wasilla Airport and the Glenn Highway near the Parks Highway had seen gusts of between 70 and 74 mph, according to weather station observations.

A high wind warning from the National Weather Service is in place until 11 p.m. Sunday for the Matanuska Valley including Wasilla, Sutton, Big Lake, Chickaloon and Palmer. The warning calls for northeast winds of 30 to 40 mph with possible gusts up to 80 mph. Wind chill could drop to between minus 10 and minus 20 degrees by Sunday evening, the agency said.

Power outages began early Saturday morning.

“We have multiple crews out in the field and are calling in more as they become available. Winds are not expected to die down today and will last into at least tomorrow evening,” Matanuska Electric Association said in a Facebook post, encouraging people to avoid downed power lines. “Please stay safe – there is a lot of debris scattered outside.”

Wasilla police warned that numerous traffic signals were dark Saturday morning due to power outages. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough announced the central landfill near Palmer is closed Saturday due to high winds.Palmer airport officials on Friday urged pilots to secure all aircraft.

A high wind advisory for the Anchorage area and the northwest Kenai Peninsula — including Nikiski, Kenai, Soldotna and Sterling — remains in effect until 11 p.m. Sunday. Forecasters expected north winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts up to 50, and wind chill dropping to between minus 5 and minus 15 by Sunday night. Knik Arm, West Anchorage and areas along the coast of northern Cook Inlet were likely to experience the strongest winds, according to the advisory.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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