This year, Koliganek "beaked" out the competition with 62.3 percent of registered voters turning out. New Stuyahok was second with a 62.11 percent turnout.

This was the third year in a row that the BBNA held the 'Vote for Turkeys' program, and the second year Koliganek won the fowl prize.

"Overall, it was just an all-out effort by everyone in the community urging their neighbors to vote. The thought of getting a free turkey or two didn't hurt the turnout either." said David Pratt, a Koliganek election official.

But Herman Nelson Sr., president of the Koliganek Village Council, was sure to point out that the high voting turnout in the participating Native villages wasn't just for the birds.

"Every year, we don't run any special programs to get people to vote. Everyone in the village just always urges everyone else to vote, and that's worked for us. It's the community that does it."

-- The Bristol Bay Times