Let’s Get Ready To Vote
Am I Registered to Vote?
To be able to vote in the general election, you must be registered to vote by October 4. Check your voter registration status here. Need to register? It’s incredibly easy – do it now here.
*deadline for registration always fall on a Sunday, 30th day prior to the election!
What District Do I Live In?
Your ballot and the races you can vote in will be determined by where your voter registration address – where you live! You can use this interactive map from Alaska Legislative Affairs to find your address and learn your Senate and House Districts. Senate Districts are identified by letters (A through T) and House Districts are identified by numbers (1 through 40).
2026 AK Food Vote Partners
Coming Soon
Local, State & Federal Elections – Why Does It Matter?
Over the next few months, we’re going to be focusing on statewide elections at AFPC, and after the primaries, we will also include the federal congressional race. There are also local elections happening – these are also incredibly important in setting the laws, policies, and dollars that influence our food systems.
Local Elections
Local elections are for municipal city or borough seats – these could be council, assembly, mayor, school board, service area board, or other local elected offices. Most Alaskan municipalities hold their elections on the first Tuesday in October. There are a few exceptions, like Anchorage (April) and Valdez (May). Different types of municipalities (i.e. first class, second class, home rule) have different powers or authorities. We won’t be highlighting local elections at AFPC, but that doesn’t mean those races aren’t important for your community and the statewide food system!
Examples of food systems decisions and influence by local officials: zoning laws for farm activities and food businesses, land use planning, cooperation and partnership in community initiatives, school nutrition capacity and procurement, food access partnerships and support, emergency planning
Statewide Elections
The Alaska Legislature has two bodies – the Senate and the House. Together, they set the laws of the state and the budget for all state spending (in partnership with the Governor, who can veto actions of the Legislature). The Alaska Senate has 20 members. They have four-year terms, with half of the seats up for election every two years. The Alaska House of Representatives has 40 members who serve two-year terms; every other year, all seats are up for election.
Examples of food systems decisions and influence by statewide officials: laws around implementation of federal programs like SNAP and child nutrition programs, staffing and funding of agriculture initiatives including the agricultural revolving loan fund, Alaska Grown marketing programs, funding for agricultural research at the University and state, subsidies and other incentives to support marketing and food and farm business development, laws and funding around local procurement preferences, emergency planning, and infrastructure investments.
Federal Elections
Alaska has two Senators and one Representative in Congress. US Senators serve six-year terms. Every two-years, a third of the Senate seats are up for election. Neither of Alaska’s Senator seats (currently held by Sen. Lisa Murkowski & Sen. Dan Sullivan) are up for election in 2024. Members of the US House of Representative are elected to two-year terms, and all seats are up for election every two-years. Alaska’s Representative seat, currently held by Mary Peltola, is up for election this year. There are 12 people running for this seat (including Peltola), and the top four vote getters in the primary election will move on to the general election. Following the primary election, AFPC will engage the candidates in the general election to help inform and educate voters.
Examples of food systems decisions and influence by federal officials: authorization and funding of nutrition, agriculture, and transportation programs like SNAP, USDA marketing programs, crop insurance and farm loan programs, and others in the Farm Bill, infrastructure funding, authorization and funding of child nutrition programs including school lunch programs and WIC, support of USPS Bypass mail and FAA weather stations.
The Alaska Food Policy Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We do not endorse specific candidates or political parties.
Upcoming Elections
General Election
Absentee in person voting, Early Voting, and Special Needs Voting for the general election starts on October 19, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3.
For the Alaska Legislature and Congressional races we use ranked-choice voting – you select your top four candidates in order of preference. A few tips for ranked choice voting from the Division of Elections:
- One vote per person in a race – don’t rank a candidate more than once/for more than one choice!
- You don’t have to rank all of the candidates
Sample ballots will be available fifty days before the election.
The Alaska Food Policy Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We do not endorse specific candidates or political parties.
Important Dates
Alaska Food Systems 101
We created this page with partners to provide a concise, informative overview of key issues and facts about Alaska’s food system, helping stakeholders understand the challenges and opportunities for improving food security, production, and infrastructure in the state.
The State of Alaska‘s Role in Alaska’s Food System
- Alaska doesn’t have a Department of Agriculture, but a Division of Agriculture within the Department of Natural Resources. For over a decade, the Division’s funding has remained nearly static and, when adjusted for inflation, has effectively decreased, hindering the development of a robust agricultural industry in the state.
- Successful industries in Alaska – seafood, tourism, oil & gas, mining – have all seen substantial investment from the state to support and grow. For example, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute has received millions in state funding since its creation for its operations supporting Alaska’s seafood industry. This state support of ASMI has helped them have a larger annual budget and similar staffing numbers to the Division of Agriculture.
- Our producers need better infrastructure and regulatory support to ensure there are resources (in staff and capital) for processing, and required regulatory inspections. This includes numerous divisions within the Department of Natural Resources as well as the Department of Environmental Conservation.
- Large markets (grocery stores, restaurants, institutions, etc) require insurance, inspections, USDA processing, etc. De-regulating the ag industry might help small farmers reach more buyers, but it will not help farms reach the large markets. Investments in infrastructure and inspections are necessary.
- ADNR Division of Agriculture has an Agricultural Loan Revolving Fund (ARLF) that is overseen by the Board of Ag. In 2022, the Legislature created an Agriculture Forgivable Loan Program (AFLP) that has received no funding or regulations to date.
- The State manages public lands with agricultural covenants and lands available for agriculture leases.
- Transportation infrastructure investments, especially our maritime ports and harbors and airports, impact Alaska’s food supply chain both on and off the road system.
The University‘s Role in Alaska’s Food System
- UAF’s Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension supports agricultural research and the Cooperative Extension Service, which includes 4-H and youth development.
- UAF began in 1917 as the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines (https://scholarworks.alaska.edu/handle/11122/2129). Agriculture was an important part of Alaska’s territorial and early statehood days, with value by the state put on supporting this industry.
- Agricultural researchers at the University learn, develop, and test new grain and other crop varieties that grow better in Alaska, work on improving soil health for sustainable agriculture for Alaska’s future, identify potential new cropping systems, and investigate chemical persistence for integrated pest management for food crops
- Lack of funding and staffing has resulted in Alaska’s agricultural research behind national trends, technology, and the transfer of information to our stakeholders that is up-to-date.
- Along with more robust research programs, other land grant universities offer business development resources to their farmers and ranchers (ag economists, business & financial plan development assistance, etc).
The Federal Government‘s Funding for Alaska’s Agriculture Sector
- Since 2021, USDA has funded $56 million for programs in Alaska’s agriculture industry through the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Agricultural Marketing Service.
- Nonprofit organizations in Alaska have received at least $25 million in USDA grants since 2019. These organizations include the Alaska Food Policy Council, Alaska Farmers Market Association, Ketchikan Agricultural Producers Association, Mariculture Food Hub, Copper River Fish Market, Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition, Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, and the Intertribal Agriculture Council. This is not an exhaustive list.
- Federal dollars are reliant on human capital at both the state and within the private sector, they are also dependent on access to matching funds.
- Federal laws, USDA, and other agency regulations impact every sector of Alaska’s food systems.
- The Farm Bill authorizes and, in some cases funds, vital federal programs that are used every day by Alaskans across the food system. From food stamps to high tunnels, the Farm Bill covers nutrition, conservation, farm business, disaster assistance, and more. AFPC is following the Farm Bill’s progress through Congress and how it will impact our farmers and citizens.
- Transportation infrastructure and regulations, including USPS Bypass Mail and FAA oversight, impact Alaska’s food supply chain both on and off the road system.
Hunger in Alaska
- 1 in 8 Alaskans are food insecure – they don’t know where their next meal is coming from and don’t have enough to eat.
- 1 in 6 Alaskan kids are food insecure
- In 2023, the State of Alaska did not apply for Summer EBT (electronic benefits transfer), however, a new pilot program at Food Bank of Alaska called Meals To You Alaska directly served over half a million meals to children via mail.
- 68,745 Alaskans receive SNAP food assistance – 10% of all Alaskans.
- 49% are households with children
- 49% are households with a person with a disability
- 3,747 military veterans
- 35% are households with elders
- Between 2019–2023, an average of 83% of SNAP households in ALASKA included someone who was working.
- 553 Alaskan retailers redeem over $281 million in SNAP in 2023.
- Every SNAP dollar spent has a $1.80 impact – supporting local economies including jobs in every space of the food supply chain.
- The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium is one of 15 Tribal organizations across the country running the USDA “Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations” (FDPIR) for local food distribution to tribes. They have switched out catfish, walleye, and russet potatoes for Alaskan-sourced Alaskan halibut, cod, and Alaska-grown potatoes in food assistance boxes.
Food Production in Alaska
- Alaska annually imports an estimated 95% of food purchased ($1.9 billion leaving the state)
- We only have a 3- to 5-day supply of most foods in grocery stores
- Transportation, labor, access to capital, and cost of inputs are large barriers for increasing food production and markets in Alaska
USDA 2022 Census of Agriculture Statistics for Alaska
- 1,173 farms in Alaska – an 18% increase since 2017
- 93% of Alaska’s farms are considered family farms
- 869,852 acres in farmland (includes crops, pasture, etc)
- The majority of our farms are less than 49 acres
- Nearly 40% of Alaskan producers are new and beginning farmers
- $90.8M in farm products sold – nearly a 30% increase since 2017
- There’s also been a total farm production expenses increase of 33% in that same time
Farmers Markets in Alaska
- 71 Alaska Farmers Markets, Food Hubs, and Farm Stands generate an estimated $7 million in sales annually
- In 2023, 95 beginning and young farmers participated as vendors at 64 markets statewide
- $44,371 in SNAP redeemed at markets in 2023 for locally-grown produce
- An Alaska State legislative grant helped the Alaska Farmers Market Association (AFMA) to double $12,000 in SNAP food purchases in 2023
- AFMA has delivered over $80,000 in local produce to anti-hunger organizations through USDA’s Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program (LFPA), administered by the ADNR Division of Agriculture. Statewide, nearly $350,000 has been granted to partner organizations to purchase Alaska Grown produce to support food pantries and food banks.
The Alaska Food Policy Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We do not endorse specific candidates or political parties.