LWVTV and Others Hit the Streets to Encourage Voting
Oct. 26 - 30, 2020

Organized by LWVTV member, Bernardo Hernandez, members, friends and family covered streets all over the FNSB encouraging citizens to exercise their right to vote. Lots of honks, thumbs up and waves were enjoyed from the passing vehicles. It was plenty cold out there but waving signs keeps you warmed up.

News Desert: Why Local Journalism Matters

A Free Public Webinar

September 22, 2020  7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Zoom and Facebook Live

More than 80 participants joined Dermot Cole (reporter, columnist, and author),
Virginia Farmier (Snedden Foundation) and, Melissa Harter (Director of the FNSB Public Library) for a lively and enlightening webinar on the scary place local journalism is in today, the perils and effects of mis- and disinformation and some potential ways forward. There were many questions posed to the panelists by attendees on Zoom, Facebook and the phone. LWVTV member, Janna Miller, organized and moderated this very informative session. The webinar was hosted by the LWVTV and the Fairbanks Branch of AAUW.

A recording of the webinar is here.

Important Dates

See the section below the dates to understand the difference among Early Voting, In person Absentee and By Mail or Electronic Absentee voting and where you can vote.

Sept. 21, 2020 8:00 am – In Person Absentee Voting begins. You do NOT need to apply for an absentee ballot to vote In Person absentee.

Sept. 21, 2020 9:00 am Mon - Sat, 10:00 am on Sunday – Early Voting begins at Shopper’s Forum (1255 Airport Way, Fairbanks). Check the Borough Clerk’s website for hours.
 

Sept. 29, 2020 5:00 pm - deadline for vote By Mail Absentee Ballot Applications
 

October 1, 2020 6:00 pm – Early Voting ends at Shopper’s Forum
 

Oct. 5, 2020 Noon - deadline for vote by Electronic Absentee Ballot Applications
 

Oct. 5, 2020 5:00 pm – In Person Absentee Voting ends (You do NOT need to apply for an absentee ballot to vote absentee in person)
 

Oct. 6, 2020 7:00 am - 8:00 pm - Regular Municipal Election Day. Go to your polling location. Find your polling location at Polling locations or call 1-888-383-8683. You may also vote a questioned ballot at any polling location that is not your own. Mail-in Absentee ballots MUST BE POSTMARKED NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 6 and must be received by the Borough Clerk’s Office by no later than the Tuesday following Election Day.

For the most current official information visit or call the Clerk Offices at

City of Fairbanks  459-6702

City of North Pole  488-8583

Fairbanks North Star Borough   459-1401

Local Municipal Election

Different Ways to Vote

• Early Voting – You physically go into a voting booth to cast your ballot. Early voting is available at Shoppers Forum (1255 Airport Way, Unit 5, Fairbanks), NOT at any of the Clerks’ Offices. Your ballot is counted on Election Day for unofficial results. The Canvass Board meets the day following the election to canvass all election returns.
• Absentee Voting - There are three types of Absentee voting:  In Person, By Mail and By Electronic means. The Canvass Board has until the Tuesday following Election Day to determine all properly voted ballots for counting.
  • In Person Absentee – You do NOT need to apply for an absentee ballot to vote In Person Absentee and no ballot is sent/emailed/faxed to you. You may vote In Person Absentee at the City of North Pole and the City of Fairbanks Clerks’ Offices or at the City of Fairbanks outside voting trailer. The FNSB has a drive-by option at the front portico of the Juanita Helms Administrative Center. Once at the FNSB drive in site, you will call the Clerk’s Office and a staff member will bring you a ballot, wait for you to vote and then return the ballot to the Clerk’s Office.
  • By Mail Absentee – You do not go into a voting booth. You must apply for a By Mail Absentee ballot (directions below). A ballot is mailed to you. After filling out the ballot, you can mail it using the USPS, deliver it inside to one of the Clerk’s Offices or deliver it to the outside voting trailer at the City of Fairbanks. Neither City nor Borough staff will come out to your vehicle to pick it up.
  • By Electronic Means Absentee - You do not go into a voting booth. You must apply for an Electronic Absentee ballot (directions below). A ballot is emailed or faxed to you. If you received your ballot by email, you print the ballot, complete it, scan the completed ballot, and email it back to the FNSB Clerk’s Office. If you received your ballot by fax, you must fax it back to the FNSB Clerk’s Office after completing it.
• Election Day Voting in person. Find your Polling locations or call 1-888-383-8683.

Call the borough clerk’s office at 907-459-1401 for additional information about all the ways to vote.  Please remember -- if you requested an absentee ballot for the Primary and/or General Elections to the State of Alaska YOU WILL NOT GET A MUNICIPAL ABSENTEE BALLOT AUTOMATICALLY. They are different systems; YOU MUST APPLY SEPARATE FOR EACH.

Municipal Candidates Forum
August 31, 2020
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Livestreamed on KUAC FM 89.9

Candidates for the FNSB Assembly, the FNSB School Board and the City of Fairbanks City Council were present at the FNSB Assembly Chambers to answer a series of short answer and lightning round questions. You can listen here.

LWVTV members Phyllis Darrah, Shari and
Tom George, Janna Miller and Valerie Therrien asked the questions, kept the candidates on time and sanitized the Assembly Chamber following FNSB COVID-19 protocols. 

Safe and Secure Voting
A Free Public Webinar

August 7, 2020  7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Zoom and Facebook Live

Division of Elections Supervisor Jeremy Johnson, April Trickey (Clerk of the FNSB), Dani Snider (Clerk of the City of Fairbanks) and Aaron Rhoades (Clerk of the City of North Pole) led this informative discussion about ways to vote, dates, new equipment and measures inplace due to the COVID-19 pandemic. League members Phyllis Darrah, Shari George, Mary Lee Guthrie, Helenmarie Matesi, Gael Murakami and Sue Sherif were joined by AAUW president Margaret Soden, FNA Coomunications Director, Diana Campbell, and Get Out the Native Vote/Doyon Ltd. lead Sharon Hildebrand to keep the webinar on track. Many questions from the attendees were fielded by Jerermy and the Clerks.

LWVTV Members Support Juneteenth

June 19 & 20, 2020

LWVTV members participated in NAACP Juneteenth celebration affirming Juneteenth and celebrating moving forward. LWVTV VP Helenmarie Matesi helped organize the event and served as moderator for much of the commemoration. Music, poetry, history and discussion brought the celebration to life. Juneteenth memorializes the June 19, 1865, announcement of the abolition of slavery in Texas. Congress recognized the day in 1997.

Spring 2020 Hot Topics

Spring 2020 Hot Topics were organized - we had the speakers, the dates and the location. Then COVID-19 hit and all was off.  The first two will be decided in the November 3, 2020 election so other means of educating ourselves were offered. Let's Talk Trash will stay on the list.