Alaska's Voting Rights at Stake in Supreme Court Case

0:00It's March 23rd. You're listening to Global News today, AI-powered coverage from around the world. I'm Cory with the story. Alaska's huge size and remote villages make air travel and mail delivery essential for voting, especially in rural spots cut off by weather, distance. The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments Monday in a case from Mississippi that questions whether states can count ballots arriving after election. Day, even if post-marked on time, for Alaska, which accepts those ballots up to 10 days later, or 15 days for overseas voters in general elections, the stakes are sky high. The state's ranked-choice voting system adds another layer as ballots from far-off precincts get flown to Juneau for final tallies. Delays already cause some 2022 ballots from villages to miss counting, despite the current grace period. states say no other state would feel this ruling as hard, given Alaska's twice the size of Texas expanse and spotty postal service.

1:00Folks in places like Beaver, along the Yukon River north of Fairbanks, worry it would silence thousands in rural communities. Pull workers there stress these rules have worked for years to make sure every vote counts. Senator Lisa Murkowski calls it part of broader efforts that intimidate voters, while other Alaska Republicans push for secure elections but also time. For rural ballots to arrive, Alaska's attorney general filed a brief highlighting real challenges, like a North Slope village mailing tallies that took nine days to reach, officials due to phone outages. Native groups warned it would hit Alaska native voters hardest, as mail from remote areas often gets post-marked late in bigger cities. With the court sets away and soon amid national debates on voting access, Alaskans hope for clarity that keeps their system fair for everyone, no. Senator, how far out they live?