For some families, the challenge is stretching a paycheck to cover groceries after rent and utilities. For others, it’s the cost and difficulty of getting food to a community far from the road system. When those pressures leave a household without enough to eat, local food pantries and meal programs offer essential support.
Public policy has a role in those experiences, too. The people we elect make decisions that affect nutrition assistance and the systems that bring food into our communities. With Election Day approaching on Tuesday, November 3, learning where candidates stand on those issues can help Alaskans make informed choices.
A vote doesn’t put dinner on the table tonight. But the decisions elected officials make can affect the support available when a household needs help, along with the long-term reliability of Alaska’s food systems.
It helps eligible households buy groceries, giving people more room in their budgets for other necessities. Federal decisions shape the program, while decisions at the state level affect its administration. For someone applying for benefits, how that system operates matters.
Access to breakfast and lunch at school helps students get the food they need during the school day and can ease pressure on household grocery budgets. Decisions about funding and program access have practical consequences for children and their families.
It includes support for Alaska’s food producers and investments in infrastructure, such as ports and cold storage. These decisions help shape how food reaches communities and how prepared those systems are for disruptions.
Public policy is another part of the work to make reliable access to food possible across Alaska.
Alaskans will elect a new governor and choose who represents them in the U.S. House and Senate. All 40 state House seats and 10 of the 20 state Senate seats are also on the ballot.
Those offices have different responsibilities, but each has a role in decisions that affect food access. Understanding what candidates prioritize can help voters look beyond campaign slogans and consider how those priorities could affect their communities.
The Alaska Food Policy Council and its AK Food Vote partners asked every candidate running for office in Alaska seven questions about food policy. The questionnaire covers issues including food insecurity and school food, giving voters a resource for learning about candidates’ positions.
You can explore the responses received so far and look for candidates running in your races. If a candidate hasn’t responded, that’s an opportunity to reach out and ask them to participate.
As you read, consider how their answers relate to your community. What do they identify as the biggest barriers to food access? Do their responses explain what they would do in office?
Once you’ve reviewed the candidates and issues, decide when and where you’ll cast your ballot.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail has passed, but you can still vote early or absentee in person. Locations and hours vary, so check before heading out.
You can also vote at your assigned polling place on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, from 7am-8pm.
Check your voter registration status and confirm your Election Day polling place. For additional resources, visit the Alaska Federation of Natives’ Make Your Plan to Vote webpage.
Food access deserves a place in the election conversation because it affects people in every part of our state. However you choose to vote, we hope you’ll consider what candidates’ priorities could mean for your neighbors facing hunger.