Recent changes by the United States Postal Service (USPS) could create major obstacles for voters in rural Alaska. The changes prohibit USPS employees from acting as witnesses to absentee ballots. Alaska is one of several states that require absentee ballots to have witnesses to verify their authenticity. Alaska ballot instructions say a voter’s signature must be “witnessed by an authorized official or, if no official is reasonably available, by someone 18 years of age or older.”

Postal officials are listed as authorized officials. But Alaska voters have said postal clerks recently informed the residents that they are now forbidden from signing ballots.

Alaska Division of Elections Director Gail Fenumiai wrote to the postal service asking for an explanation, stating that Alaska’s rural residents often have difficulty securing outside witnesses and have traditionally relied on USPS workers for this function. A USPS representative replied, citing potential operational impacts as the reason for the change. The postal service has come under criticism recently for changes that may affect its ability to process mail-in and absentee ballots efficiently.

You can read the full report from U.S. News and World Report here: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/alaska/articles/2020-08-19/postal-service-rule-change-could-impact-rural-alaska-voters