In Alaska, less than 60% of eligible voters cast ballots in the last statewide election yet every vote has the power to shape our communities and our future. Voting is more than a civic duty; it is our voice, our representation, and our protection against decisions being made about us without our input.
It wasn’t long ago that many Alaskans were denied that voice. My parents were not allowed to vote until 1958. Before then, countless Alaska Natives were effectively disenfranchised through literacy tests, bureaucratic barriers, and policies designed to silence Indigenous voters. These restrictions didn’t just limit ballots they limited representation, autonomy, and dignity.
When you cannot vote, you cannot speak for your family, your community, or your future. That is why every election matters, not just presidential ones. Our ancestors fought far too hard for us to sit out now.
Voting is how we show up for one another. It is how we turn hope into action, frustration into change. Every vote counts, every voice matters, and every election shapes our shared future.
Please exercise your right. Vote. Every election. Every time.
Sandra Edwardson
Juneau, Alaska