Juneau's early voters brave long lines to cast their ballot

Tuesday is the big day – voters across the state will go to the polls Election day. Unless they took advantage of early voting, which is already underway.

Long lines for early voting and uncontested local elections in Juneau haven't stopped voters here. Amy Smith of Juneau described what it felt like to cast her first vote in a presidential election Monday at Mendenhall Mall.

“A mix of excitement and nervousness, I had to make sure I filled everything out correctly,” she said.

Early voting in Juneau took place at Mendenhall Mall and the State Office Building. There was a line out the door on Monday afternoon. But Smith said the roughly 45-minute wait was worth it.

“I just want my voice to be heard, and I just don’t want the country to go in a direction that I don’t have a say in,” she said.

Lauri Wilson, the state's Region 1 elections director, said there were lines out the door and in the parking lot at the mall all weekend.

“We had a good turnout,” she said. “We are happy that voters are coming here and casting their votes for the 24' general elections. We expect it to be fairly stable both today and tomorrow.”

The ballot allows voters to evaluate candidates for president and vice president, Alaska's only U.S. House seat, and the state's local House and Senate races. In addition, there are two ballot proposals asking voters whether they should increase the amount state minimum wage and repeal of ranked-choice voting.

Juneau resident Jake Carpenter lives downtown but was in the Valley on Monday to cast his vote.

“I mean, all elections are important, right?” he said. “I think this is kind of a defining moment for our nation when it comes to our democracy. So I'm happy to see so many people out here voting, and I hope that they, and I imagine that they all recognize the gravity of this election.”

Carpenter said the presidential election motivated him most to vote, but he said it was important for him to consider everything on the ballot.

Juneau has one seat in the Alaska Senate. It is filled by Jesse Kiehl. Sara Hannan and Andi Story fill Juneau's two seats in the Alaska House. All are Democrats who took office in 2019. They are also running unopposed for re-election.

“The voters in our region need to come forward and make their voices heard because this is extremely important,” Kiehl said in an interview. “If our issues are to continue to be important issues, our votes must count across the country, and that means we must go out and cast them. It’s that simple.”

Kiehl said even though all races in Juneau are uncontested, every vote counts. After all, Southeast Alaska makes up about 10% of the state's area.

All three lawmakers were strong supporters of permanently increasing state education funding, an issue that dominated the last legislative session. Story said this is one of the main reasons she is running again.

“I can just taste that we are close to reaching the finish line for BSA (Base Student Allocation),” she said.

Hannan said voter turnout is helping her shape the policies she and other lawmakers are focused on — policies that can directly impact the lives of people in Juneau and across Alaska.

“My job as a legislator is to represent everyone who lives in my district, whether they vote for me or not, and everyone in the state. “So hearing the diversity of voices helps us formulate policies and people need to remember that,” she said.

And for Juneau residents like Feleti Tupou, voting means much more than just filling a few bubbles.

“Freedom. The possibilities in this country are endless,” he said. “If we come here and support the choice and are able to choose the things that we have, then that's what gives us freedom. There is a lot of countries out there that can’t do that.”

Juneau voters can find more information about where and how to vote on Election Day by visiting Alaska Division of Elections website.

The results of the first round of elections are expected to be announced shortly after polls close at 8pm – but we may not know the outcome of some elections for weeks. The final results will be confirmed later this month.