Public Notice of Member Representative Election & Filing Deadline

The following communities shall hold elections for their Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation (NSEDC) Member Representative seat for a five-year term:

• Elim
• Nome
• St. Michael
• Savoonga
• Teller

Election Date: October 6, 2026

Filing Period: August 14 - August 28, 2026 at 3:00 pm

NSEDC has arranged with the local municipal governments to conduct the NSEDC Member Representative elections. However, the NSEDC Member Representative election is not a municipal office and it will have a separate ballot. Voters do not need to be qualified to vote in the city's elections to be eligible to vote in the NSEDC election. Any registered voter who resides in a state election precinct that encompasses the member community, even if they live outside the community's municipal limits, is eligible to vote in the NSEDC Member Representative election. To check if you are registered to vote, visit the Alaska Division of Elections site: https://myvoterinformation.alaska.gov/

NSEDC Eligibility and Minimum Vote Requirements:

Candidate Eligibility: To be eligible as a candidate, an applicant:

1. Must be a "resident fisher" of the community she or he wishes to represent, which is an individual:

a. with recent (within 10 years prior to the election), documented commercial or subsistence fishing activity;

b. who is a registered voter residing within the state precinct boundaries encompassing the member community, where the applicant maintains a mailing address and permanent domicile in the member community; and

c. eligible to receive an Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend, where the individual spends at least 20 days each month within the community from which they are filing for election and once elected, with the exception of regular vacations, travel for work-related business, board/commission obligations or medical reasons; and where the individual has resided for at least one (1) year immediately prior to the election.

2. May not be currently employed by NSEDC in a regular position; and

3. Must have "good moral character," which means that an individual:

a. is eligible for election as set forth in Article Five, Section 6 (see candidacy packet for more information);

b. has a history free of any felony convictions, including guilty pleas or pleas of nolo contendere, within the last 10 years;

c. has a criminal history free of any misdemeanor controlled substance convictions, including guilty pleas or pleas of nolo contendere, within the last 10 years; and

d. is able to pass a drug screen test, prior to the election, which is administered in accordance with NSEDC's employee drug and alcohol testing policies.

To determine eligibility, each applicant must complete a "Member Representative Candidacy Statement" and consent to a background check and drug test. You may pick up a candidacy packet with these forms and additional information from the city office or from the NSEDC Liaison in your community. Packets will be available by August 14, 2026.

Minimum Vote: The candidate receiving the highest number of votes and over 40% of the total votes cast shall be the elected NSEDC Member Representative.

If you have any questions, please contact your city office or NSEDC at 800-650-2248.