Alaska Voters Worry Supreme Court Case Could Disenfranchise Thousands

Rural communities rely on mail-in ballots and grace periods to ensure votes are counted in the state's unique election system.

Mar. 23, 2026 at 12:49am

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Alaska's vast geography and reliance on air travel for mail delivery have made the state's 10-day grace period for receiving mail-in ballots a necessity, according to election officials and advocates. They fear a Supreme Court case challenging late-arriving ballots could disenfranchise thousands of voters, particularly in Alaska Native communities. The case is seen as part of a broader effort to restrict voting access nationwide.

Why it matters

Alaska's unique election system, with its heavy reliance on mail-in voting and long distances between communities, makes the state particularly vulnerable to any changes that would limit the counting of late-arriving ballots. Advocates warn that a Supreme Court ruling against grace periods could have an outsized impact on Alaska, potentially disenfranchising thousands of voters, especially in Alaska Native communities.

The details

Alaska is one of 14 states that allow all mailed ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive days or weeks later and be counted. This is crucial due to the state's vast geography, weather challenges, and the reliance on air travel to deliver ballots to and from rural precincts. Even with the current 10-day grace period, some ballots from remote villages in 2022 arrived too late to be counted. A Supreme Court ruling against late-arriving ballots could affect around 50,000 Alaskans who voted by mail in the 2024 presidential election.

  • In the 2022 general election, between 55% and 78% of absentee ballots from certain state House districts arrived at election offices after Election Day.
  • Statewide in the 2022 general election, about 20% of all absentee ballots were received after Election Day.

The players

Rhonda Pitka

A poll worker and first chief in Beaver, Alaska, a village along the Yukon River 110 miles north of Fairbanks.

Lisa Murkowski

The senior U.S. senator from Alaska, a Republican who sees the Supreme Court case as an effort to end voting by mail nationwide.

Michelle Sparck

The director of Get Out the Native Vote, a nonpartisan voting rights advocacy group affiliated with the Alaska Federation of Natives.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee

What’s next

The Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case challenging Mississippi's allowance of late-arriving ballots on Monday.

The takeaway

This case highlights the unique challenges Alaska faces in ensuring all lawful votes are counted, especially in remote Native communities that rely heavily on mail-in ballots. A Supreme Court ruling against grace periods could have an outsized impact on voter access and participation in the state.