On Election Day, voters streamed steadily in and out of the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex to cast their ballots. The facility is home to two voting precincts on the central Kenai Peninsula.
Poll workers reported high voter turnout at the sport center. By 1:30 p.m., about one-fifth of registered voters in the Kalifornsky Beach precinct had cast their ballots in person.
Kelli Kay is one of them. The 25-year-old Soldotna resident has been voting since she was 18.
“We’re the next generation," Kay said. "We’re going to be the next group of people who are making choices for our society, and it’s our job to set it up for the future that we want for ourselves and our future children.”
In 2020, those aged 18 through 34 made up 32% of Alaska's registered voters. This November, that number was about 30%, but Kay was one of them. She believes not voting is part of the problem.
Kay says she feels more confident voting this year because she researched the issues and candidates. She urges anyone of eligible voting age to register, even for local elections.
“If you are young and you are about to be able to start voting, you’re about to turn 18, or if you’re in your 20s and you haven’t voted yet, it is so important to get educated and to go out and vote," Kay said. "We are going to be the next generation, and it’s important to set up a future for ourselves.”
Other young Alaskans feel uncertain about voting. Soldotna’s Hannah Selden is 26 years old and cast her first-ever ballot on Tuesday. Even though she’s always felt that her vote won’t matter, she’s ready to see younger people represent her in office.
“We need people that are thinking about people that are growing up in this generation, in this climate, I guess, of this world that we’re living in now," Selden said. "The interests just don’t align anymore, so we need people that actually care about what we're going to be dealing with.”
For Kenai’s Hope Bishop, this is the first statewide election she’s eligible to vote in. She’s 19 years old. She thinks picking candidates to represent her in the government is a big ask.
But, Bishop still thinks young people should vote.
“That’s an important part of how our government works, and that’s how you say what you want our government to do," she said. "It’s important to tell them what you want to happen.”
Bishop says she didn’t realize Alaska’s Third Judicial District judges were on the ballot, but will do more research next time she votes.
