Neighbors,

Over the last few weeks, wildfires in Oregon, Washington, and California destroyed thousands of homes and forced people to flee for their lives. In some cases, families only had moments to get ready to evacuate. As I watched the tragedy unfold, I started to think about whether my family and I are ready for emergencies.

As it turns out, September is National Preparedness Month. Below you will find information on how to be prepared for an emergency, including what you should consider putting in your emergency preparedness kit. I hope you will never need it, but I think it's a good idea to be prepared.

Please be safe,

  • Water
  • Food
  • A flashlight
  • Battery-powered or crank radio
  • First aid kit
  • Medication
  • Batteries
  • Multi-purpose tool
  • Hygiene items
  • Copies of personal documents
  • Cash
  • Extra set of car and house keys
Disasters Don't Wait, Make Your Plan Today
Ready.gov is a great place to start preparing your family for an emergency.
We Need More Secure Ballot Drop Boxes
I recently joined several of my legislative colleagues in asking for more secure ballot drop boxes in Anchorage for the upcoming November general election.

Interest in vote-by-mail is at an all-time high in Alaska, and it seems prudent to make it more convenient for voters to return their ballot. In Anchorage, this can be done easily by opening up the secure ballot drop boxes used by the Municipality of Anchorage for their elections.

Unfortunately, Lieutenant Governor Kevin Meyer has not yet seen fit to ask the Municipality of Anchorage to use their drop boxes, which is a mistake.

Read the letter to the Lieutenant Governor Meyer by clicking on this link.
Voting Deadlines
  • October 4 is the deadline to register to vote.

  • October 24 is the deadline for the Division of Elections to receive absentee ballot applications.

  • November 3 is election day. The polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.