Skagway residents weigh in on the voting district mapping process

The independent Alaska redistricting board held a special meeting on Wednesday for Skagway residents to voice their opinions on plans for updated voting districts. Those who participated overwhelmingly voiced support for plans connecting Skagway with downtown Juneau.

Redistricting happens in the United States every ten years, following the release of the national population Census. The Alaska Redistricting Board maintains equal voting blocks by taking the overall population of the state and dividing by 40. That’s the number of congressional house districts in Alaska.

That number comes out to about 18,000 voters per district. Skagway has long been in the same House district as Haines, Downtown Juneau, and Douglas Island. However, several of the newly proposed maps being considered by the board would rearrange voting lines to align Skagway with Auke Bay and the Mendenhall Valley.

Skagway resident and business owner Janilyn Heger doesn’t agree with those plans.

“I just would like to voice a concern that your might change the district of Skagway so that we’re not in communities similar to ours. We are dependent on our cruise ship activity. And more similar to downtown Juneau, and I’d like to see us stay in a district that is dependent on cruise ships like ours, so the decisions we make are like-minded,” said Heger.

Another Skagway small business owner, Ian Hays grew up in the Mendenhall Valley and also voiced support to remain in the same district as downtown Juneau.

“I was there from the ages of one to 23 and the lifestyle, socio-economic situation, all the things that the two different communities need are not the same being Skagway and the Mendenhall Valley. So as much as we can keep Skagway tied into downtown Juneau, I think that would be beneficial,” said Hays.

There were about a dozen speakers at the zoom meeting that included local municipal leaders and residents largely in favor of keeping Skagway in the same district as downtown Juneau. One commentator, local lodge owner Kathy Hosford, however, voiced her support for a geographically based approach.

“Geography is very important. All of the small towns that have a port have cruise ships, but as far as transportation corridors and having similar issues, I truly believe that Haines and Skagway need to be a part of the northern Lynn Canal, the north part of Juneau,” said Hosford.

The state constitution does call for consideration to be given to local census boundaries and says that drainage and geographic features shall be used in describing boundaries wherever possible. 

There are several choices on the table for the redistricting board to consider, and they have until November 10 to finalize a plan. Another open meeting will be held for anyone in the state to voice their opinion from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 30. The toll-free statewide number to join is 844-586-9085. You can also submit your opinion at akredistrict.org.