June 15th, 2020: On Thursday, the Division of Elections announced that it will send absentee ballot applications to every registered voter over the age of 65 prior to the August primary elections. In a statement, Lt. Governor Meyer acknowledged that this particular group had concerns about being able to vote safely.
Voters around the country are weighing the risk of going to the polls during the pandemic. Standing in close proximity, using touch screens, and handling ballots increases the risk of transmission of COVID-19.
Alaska recorded its highest seven-day-average of new COVID-19 cases and is now among the 10 states with the highest COVID-19 infection growth rate.
Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (D-Sitka), Co-Chair of the House State Affairs Committee, said, “The COVID-19 pandemic will not be gone by the August primary elections, nor will the virus decide to take a holiday for the occasion. If we can help it, we should avoid bringing together large groups of people. I urge DOE to distribute absentee ballot applications to all registered voters in Alaska to reduce the risk to public health.”
