Alaska can reduce costs and increase voter convenience by expanding its permanent absentee option, where voters can sign up to automatically be sent an absentee ballot for each election without having to re-apply, to all voters. Currently, only residents that are disabled or remote can sign up. States experience significant savings with these lists; on average, states save $1 for every request they no longer need to process.

With a drastic increase in mail ballots, Alaska has an opportunity to establish the gold standard of post-election security by implementing risk limiting audits. Same day voter registration would improve upon Alaska’s automatic voter registration to ensure that any eligible resident who wasn’t automatically registered can cast a ballot in any election.

Alaska has already implemented drop boxes as a result of the pandemic, but should make these return options permanent fixtures for future elections; they reduce strain on the postal system, and are sometimes a preferred method by voters who want more reassurance that their ballots will arrive on time. We recommend allowing ballots to be received at polling or vote centers, drop boxes, and other locations deemed necessary by clerks.

In October 2020, a court suspended the witness requirement for the 2020 election and Alaska allowed voters to provide “voter identifiers” instead. An even more secure option would be to get rid of the witness requirement and instead implement signature verification, which ensures election security while streamlining ballot processing.

In the event that a voter’s ballot is rejected, said voter should have the ability to cure their ballot quickly and simply. As more voters use absentee ballots and, understandably, the number of rejected absentee ballots increases, we recommend implementing a Text2Cure system that allows voters to cure their ballots from their phones.

Ballot tracking software such as Ballot Scout or Ballot TRACE can be a very cost effective tool to improve Alaska’s current ballot tracking system. An expanded notification system helps keep rejection rates low and increases voter confidence and participation.

Guaranteeing prepaid postage is a voter-centric reform that breaks down an economic barrier to the ballot box. It also ensures that voters do not need to make an extra trip to the post office, which makes voting more convenient.