
by Michelle Sparck
Voters in the Calista region used to be legendary voters, and the “Native” vote meant all the difference in very tight statewide races. Those who are now our Elders, knew that our right to vote was hard won in their lifetime, and that it mattered.
In 1982, we voted at near village population levels. Of the 204 voters there were in Akiachak, 193 voted, that’s a 94.3 percent rate. In Atmautluak, only three people didn’t vote for whatever reason, and 131 people gave them a high of a 98 percent turnout rate. Fifty-five out of 63 voted in Nightmute, giving them a rate of 89%. All these villages had a turnout rate of 20 to 30 percent in the 2022 mid-terms. We have dropped an average 50 points in voter turnout since the 80s.
The Bethel region is in parts of House District 37, House District 38, House District 39, and House 40 rounds out the Bush Districts. Our Senate Districts are broken up between T and S in the Arctic and Southwestern regions. We make up Region IV of the Division of Elections with 107 precincts. We have nearly 42,000 registered voters, and only 13,971 people voted in the 2022 mid-terms.
Thirteen villages managed to pull off in person voting but their ballots weren’t fully counted in the primary or the mid-terms. That could have been a problem with the system, like the Division of Elections, the post office, or air carriers. Some of it could be because voters don’t know enough about elections, don’t care, or don’t want to get involved.
It Takes a Village to make elections happen, and our local leaders, paid election work volunteers, and voters need to be loud and proud about upcoming elections.
Get Out the Native Vote would like to know why 27,941 people did not vote with the opportunities we have in the last statewide elections. We challenge our community to vote like we have and can do again, vote like our Elders, and we can change governance in Alaska to share and replicate our successes, meet our needs, reflect our values, our culture, and utilize our good stewardship in all matters of our lives. Voting needs to add up to make a difference, and it takes more than you and I voting, it takes a village.
This presidential year, and for the ones to come, let’s vote like our ancestors, and vote for our future generations, and get the more representative government we deserve.
Michelle (Macuar) Sparck is the director of Get Out the Native Vote, or GOTNV, a statewide nonprofit voter education organization based out of Anchorage under the Cook Inlet Tribal Council. Macuar, a member of the Qissunamiut Tribe of Chevak who grew up in Bethel, went on to become an experienced legislative aide in Washington, D.C. and Juneau.