Between redistricting, Alaska’s new voting system, and several upcoming deadlines, there is a lot to pay attention to to be sure your vote will count in the upcoming Primary and Special General Election on August 16 as well as the General Election on November 8. Alaska Common Ground has gathered many of the critical details and important dates we all need to know on our website here, including this link to the Alaska Division of Elections to check your voter registration status, polling place locations, and absentee application. And be sure to sign up for our informational event on August 4! You’ll find the details below.

Thank you to everyone who joined together on June 1 to mark Alaska Common Ground's 30th year. Reaching this milestone demonstrates that ACG’s efforts to advance an engaged Alaskan democracy are as relevant as ever - we could not have gotten here without you. We’re grateful to our panelists Berta Gardner, Bill Falsey, and Steve Lindbeck and moderator extraordinaire Drew Cason for a thoughtful and lively discussion about “What Democracy Means to You and How Can We Find Common Ground to Protect It?”. In case you missed founding board member Peg Tileston’s overview of ACG’s compelling history - including the breadth of critical policy issues we’ve covered from addressing the different needs of urban and rural Alaska to Alaska’s need for a long-term fiscal plan - we encourage you to read it here.

In celebration of ACG’s 30th anniversary and initiated by a generous gift from longtime board member Mary Lu Harle, we’re pleased to announce the creation of the Alaska Common Ground Legacy Fund at The Alaska Community Foundation. If you’d like to support ACG’s efforts for the next 30 years, please consider making a special gift here. If you prefer to donate with a check, click here for more information. Thank you for your support!

Kenai Peninsula Votes has created a video to show voters the ballot they will be voting in the August 16 Primary and Special General Election. Check it out here and learn more about Kenai Peninsula Votes here.

Adopted in 2019, Anchorage’s Climate Action Plan is a roadmap for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing Anchorage residents for the rapid changes already occurring. Average temperatures in Anchorage have warmed 3 degrees in summer and 4.2 degrees in winter since 1970.

The Municipality recently released its second Climate Action Report, which you can read here. Some key takeaways in 2021 - Anchorage continued to make strides toward overall resilience and climate action. The Municipality expanded renewable energy generation, saved energy and money through citywide energy upgrades, created a new clean energy financing mechanism, and more. Over 80 Anchorage homeowners installed solar energy in 2021, increasing the total number of solar meters throughout the city to 657. Unfortunately, due to shifting priorities in the current administration, coordinated climate-centered work is decreasing within the Municipality.

ACG hosted a series of events in 2021 discussing the different sectors within the Climate Action Plan. You can find video from these events and more resources on our website here.

The Alaska Division of Elections has been preparing for the upcoming Primary and Special General Election on August 16 and the General Election on November 8 and is having trouble staffing all of the nearly 100 precinct polling stations in the Anchorage area. The Division has an Adopt-a-Precinct program whereby nonprofit corporations can “adopt” a precinct and staff it with its members and others. Besides providing a valuable public service to help have fair and efficient in-person voting, the nonprofit receives up to $1,800 for each election.

At our June meeting, Alaska Common Ground’s board agreed to adopt a polling station in Anchorage and asked ACG members to volunteer to help. The response has been OUTSTANDING! To date, 34 members have agreed to help, and seven have agreed to be a chair or co-chair. With such a great response, ACG will now run three stations, and help run a fourth. Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has signed up to volunteer!

ACG and the Division of Elections could still use more help. Volunteers can work all day or a 4-hour or longer shift - in the morning, afternoon, or evening. Shifts start at 6:30 am and the last one ends at about 9:00 pm. Each poll worker must complete a 2-hour online training prior to election days. If you’re willing to volunteer to help run a polling station, please contact Chuck Gilbert ASAP at cgilbert2go@gmail.com or 907-349-1318. Chuck is ACG’s board treasurer and is coordinating this effort for us. The Division of Elections is also still looking for other nonprofits to adopt stations. If you know of one willing to do so, please call Lorna Standeford at 907-275-2307.

If you applied for your PFD this year and would like to support Alaska Common Ground (and other worthy organizations), you have until August 31 to make a difference. That’s the deadline to make or change any donations through Pick.Click.Give. We’d be honored if you chose ACG! Click here for more information.

And please be sure to check out all the other ways to support ACG here.