KAKTOVIK, Alaska (AP) — The right to vote is considered sacrosanct in the U.S., but that's not always the case in tiny, remote Native villages across Alaska.

In these far-flung places – far from any connected road system and often only accessible by boat or small aircraft – There are many challenges when voting. Mail and telephone service may be unreliable, and severe storms or employee illness may cause delays. Sometimes the polls simply won't open if no one is trained to be a poll worker, or if someone doesn't show up before an election after being hired or fired.

The result? Hundreds of people could be deprived of their right to vote. That would shock politicians, voters and activists in any swing state, but it receives relatively little attention outside the 49th state.

The Associated Press sent journalists in early October to a village above the Arctic Circle where the district couldn't open for the August primary this year – Kaktovik, on an island just off the north coast of Alaska – to take a closer look at the hurdles faced by Alaska Native voters . Here are some insights from the AP's reporting.

A shortage of poll workers

Recruiting and retaining poll workers is an ongoing problem for the Alaska Division of Elections statewide, but can be particularly challenging in Native villages where the cost of goods is high and the population is small.

George Kaleak, a whaling captain and community leader in Kaktovik, blames inadequate pay and timing: The August primary comes when many people are hunting, fishing, vacationing or preparing for the upcoming whaling season.

Poll workers in Alaska can earn $20 an hour, while county managers who oversee their assigned polling places earn slightly more. Employees must commit to working a 16-hour day or split shift and must attend four to five hours of paid training.

Among the measures the state has used to try to increase interest is a “Youth on the Stand” program aimed at getting older teenagers involved in job elections.

In Kaktovik, recent high school graduate Edwin Solomon thought about it. He didn't vote in the primary and considers voting in the general election his “first step into adulthood.”

A recurring problem

Unopen polling places are a recurring problem in rural Alaska. During the primary election in August of this year, precincts in Wales and Kaktovik were unable to open. In several other villages they opened late. At Anaktuvuk Pass, the polling station opened about 30 minutes before closing time; Only seven of the 258 voters registered there cast their votes in person.

In the 2022 primaries, Tununak and Atmautluak did not open when workers failed to show up. Two others — Holy Cross and Venetie — did not have enough poll workers, but voters were able to cast their absentee ballots in person.

In this year's parliamentary elections, polling stations in the villages of Teller and Nuiqsut did not open until around 3:30 p.m

Alaska allows mail-in voting, but that can present its own challenges given the sometimes questionable reliability of mail delivery in rural Alaska.

The U.S. Department of Justice, which enforces federal laws protecting voting rights, declined to comment on the closed polls in rural Alaska. But according to the court order, it has been like this for years monitored elections in the state to ensure polling places provide language assistance to Alaska-born voters.

What is at stake?

Alaska's only representative in the U.S. House of Representatives is Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola – the first Alaska Native elected to Congress. She faces Republican Nick Begich in a tight race that will determine which party controls the House of Representatives.

Peltola is popular with Alaska Native voters and was endorsed this month by the Alaska Federation of Natives, the largest statewide Alaska Native organization. She has suggested that the race with Begich could be decided by “dozens of votes,” making the potential impact of voter disenfranchisement significant.

Will it be addressed?

State, county and local officials all say they are trying to ensure everyone can vote in the Nov. 5 election. In a written statement, Carol Beecher, director of the Alaska Division of Elections, called her agency “heavily invested in ensuring all precincts have manpower and sites open on time.” She acknowledged that it can be difficult to find temporary workers to help run elections in remote villages.

Michelle Sparck of the nonprofit Get Out The Native Vote said her agency worked with another organization and found 11 volunteers who were trained to work at elections and would be willing to fly to the villages next week if needed. One is already committed to Craig, a community of about 1,000 residents – about 17% of them indigenous – on Prince of Wales Island in southeast Alaska.

The North Slope Borough – similar to a county government in other parts of the U.S. – said it would also be willing to send staff to Kaktovik or other villages that might need help opening precincts if the state doesn't hire anyone. The district, which includes Kaktovik, covers a vast tundra area almost the size of Oregon.

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Bohrer reported from Juneau, Alaska. Johnson reported from Seattle.