Three weeks ago Alaska had a primary election. Only about 25 percent of registered voters actually filled in a ballot, and we can't tell how many, but at least 20,000 eligible Alaskans didn't even register.
Low voter turnout, we call it. But what does that actually mean? Are Alaskansapathetic? We're busy, for sure, but as I travel our state I know Alaskans care -- deeply -- about a wide range of issues.
Today we celebrate National Voter Registration Day. I ask for your help to get Alaskans registered and voting.
I'm asking this because it's hard to believe that the people who fill our pipeline with oil and who fill the world's dinner plates with fish don't want to participate in choosing who writes the laws that regulate their livelihood. It's equally hard to believe that Alaska's other industry workers and entrepreneurs don't care either.
Our traditional and subsistence communities also care deeply about protecting timeless ways and cultural heritage. Decisions that help or hurt these values are made in Juneau and Washington, D.C.
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