Situated on an island just off Alaska’s southern coast, the city of Kodiak has a population of roughly 5,400 residents. Given its small size, it’s a fairly tight-knit community where individuals are familiar with their fellow residents.
Like many Alaska Republican voters, Kodiak resident Silver Prout was looking forward to caucusing in her city’s GOP presidential preference poll last week. But there was just one problem: The site designated as the location for the town’s Republican caucus was closed. Upon arriving at the harbormaster’s office — the intended polling site — she discovered the venue was shuttered.
While Silver didn’t know it at the time, the Kodiak Daily Mirror had published an article the day prior informing residents they wouldn’t be able to participate in the caucus because the local Republican Party reportedly couldn’t find enough volunteers to staff the poll. Party Chair Duncan Fields described the situation as “an internal party thing,” and told the outlet that the person “who was going to do it can’t do it, and [he hasn’t] been able to find anybody to step in.”
Because of this, Silver and other Kodiak caucusgoers were unable to vote in Alaska’s March 5 GOP presidential preference poll.
“This is the most consequential election of our lifetime and having a presidential caucus location closed with no answer other than, ‘We can’t staff it,’ shows the weaknesses in our election process,” Silver told The Federalist. The election misadministration in Kodiak “highlights the vulnerability of our democratic
