Home > Alaska Native Policy Center > 2020 Alaska Youth Voting Challenge
Announcing a special civic engagement opportunity for our youth, 17 and younger, to learn about the importance of voting by encouraging the adults in their communities who are eligible to vote, to do so in the general election on or before November 3, 2020. This statewide challenge seeks to:
What you need to know:
Letter of Interest (LOI) Instructions
First Alaskans Institute is an Alaska Native non-profit with an interest in ensuring our Native community overcomes the historic and current disenfranchisement of our community members from the voting process, educating our non-Native community about Alaska Natives and the voting history of the state and country in regards to Alaska Natives and other peoples of color, and improving relations between all peoples who call Alaska home. To be complete the following must be included in the LOI, which cannot be longer than 3 pages in length (1 inch margins, 11 point font, and single or double spaced).
Provide brief responses to the following questions:
By participating in this challenge, you are committing to this NON-PARTISAN get out the vote effort. This means the supporting and/or educating adults for the youth group or school must commit to this as well as the participating youth. The youth must learn what this means and ensure their efforts remain non-partisan at all times as they perform get out the vote efforts leading up to and on the day of the election. Please affirmatively state in your LOI that you, your youth group or school, others supporting and/or educating the youth in this challenge, commit to the following:
Thank you for taking the time to thoughtfully answer these questions. LOI’s must be submitted to [email protected] no later than 5pm Alaska Standard Time on November 3, 2020 (Election Day). First Alaskans Institute will review your completed application and notify you about the status of your application as soon as possible.
The school or youth group with an approved application that:
FAI will wait until the Alaska Division of Elections certifies the 2020 general election results before determining the participating district with the highest percentage increase of voter turnout compared to the 2016 general election. FAI will then announce the winners.
Please note: The incentive prizes may not be divided or distributed as cash to any individual child or youth, and instead must be used to purchase educational or recreational items that benefit the winning school or youth group.
Important Note:
The goal of the Alaska Youth Voter Turnout Challenge is to increase voter turnout in Alaska. By submitting this application you swear and affirm that your efforts will be focused on increased voter participation in your selected district(s), but will not, in any way, reward an individual voter for their vote. Further, any funds received will not be disbursed directly to any child in the form of a monetary payout.
This program does not violate federal or state law.
If you have any questions, please email [email protected].
Good luck! Let’s Get Out The Vote, Alaska!