Elections

Updated 10/03/2023 – We will continue to update the below FAQs as we receive and answer questions from CBJ voters.

What does it mean that this is a “By Mail” Election?

Voting “By Mail” is a ballot delivery system where ballots are mailed to Juneau eligible voters at their mailing address and voters can vote from the convenience of their home. Vote By Mail systems contrast to poll-based voting, where ballots are distributed to various polling locations. Ballots for the 2023 Regular Municipal Election are scheduled to be mailed out on September 14, 2023 and may arrive as early as September 15, 2023. Voters have many options for returning their mailed ballots during the 2-week period through Election Day, October 3^rd, including:

• Voters may return their ballot by placing them in a secure drop box
• Voters may return their ballot to one of two Juneau Vote Centers
• Voters may return their ballot by mail through the U.S. Postal Service using first class postage

Can I vote in person?

Yes. You may vote in person at one of two Vote Centers. Hours and Locations found here.

Unlike the State of Alaska Division of Elections, local CBJ Elections are not conducted at polling precinct locations on Election Day.

In all cases, marked ballots are placed in a ballot return envelope and a secure ballot box for processing at the Thane Ballot Processing Center. Traditional precinct polling locations are not open and are not an option for voting on Election Day.

What are the policies and procedures used by Election Officials to conduct a By Mail Election?

The Election Policies and Procedures (P&P) are all based on CBJ Code 29.07.   A copy of the Election P&P document (without the appendices) is linked here for reference.

The full Policies and Procedures (P&P) with all its appendices, takes up a 2 inch 3-ring binder and it is available to view in person at the Thane Ballot Processing Center. The public is welcome to come out and observe the Election Teams working at the Thane Ballot Processing Center (BPC) located at 1325 Eastaugh Way, Monday through Friday 9am-4pm.  Depending on the workload, additional election worker teams and shifts may be added as we get closer to Election Day (10/3) and review by the Canvass Review Board 10/16-17.

I’m out of town during the entire election time. What are my options?

You have two options. You can apply to receive a ballot by postal mail at a temporary address or apply to receive an e-ballot by fax or email.

Deadline has Passed – Postal mail to a temporary address: Apply as soon as possible by filling out the 2023 CBJ Temporary Address Application. The last day to apply to receive your ballot at a temporary address is Tuesday, September 26, 2023. Ballots returned through the mail must be legibly postmarked no later than Election Day, October 3, 2023 and received by the Clerk’s Office no later than the beginning of the Canvass Review Board process on Monday, October 16, 2023.

Deadline Has Passed – E-Ballot: Apply as soon as possible by filling out the 2023 CBJ Application for a Fax/E-ballot. Applications for fax/E-ballot must be received by the Clerk’s Office by 5:00 p.m. AKST Monday, October 2, 2023. Ballots returned by fax or email must arrive by 8:00 p.m. AKST on Election Day, Tuesday, October 3, 2023.

I need accommodations to vote. What are my options?

ADA and HAVA (Help America Vote Act)-compliant voting machines are available at Vote Centers from September 18 through Election Day, October 3. These machines allow users to vote with an audio ballot and/or a tactile interface and are available to all registered voters.

If you did not receive a ballot in the mail and are unable to vote in person due to age, illness, or disability a personal representative may pick up and deliver a ballot for you (called “Special Needs Voting”). Your personal representative can assist you in any step of the voting process and can be anyone except for candidates, your employer, agents of your employer, or officers or an agent of your union. Special Needs Voting ballots are available starting Monday, September 18 at both Vote Centers and must be returned by 8:00 p.m. AKST on Election Day, October 3.

Can someone come and watch the ballot review process?

Yes, KTOO Radio has put together this video showcasing the process at the Thane Ballot Processing Center. Members of the public are welcome to come and watch the ballot review process in person at the Thane Ballot Processing Center located at 1325 Eastaugh Way (behind the tour buses). Election staff will be present Monday-Friday 9am-4pm and there may be some additional hours on days like Election Day and others as the workload requires.

When will election results be available?

Ballots scanning and adjudication will take place on Election Day after the close of the Vote Centers and Drop Boxes at 8:00p.m. It is likely that the Preliminary “Unofficial” results will be posted sometime after 10p.m. on Election Day, October 3. Updated unofficial results will be periodically published on this website prior to and during the review of the returns until the Canvass Review Board and the Election Official certify the election, currently scheduled for Tuesday October 17. Certification of the election may be postponed up to 3 days on a day-to-day basis as necessary.

What votes will be included in the totals reported on Election Night?

The numbers reported on Election Night will include ballot return envelopes that were received before Election Day and have been reviewed and approved for counting. Ballots returned on Election Day will be processed after Election Day and will be reported in updated results in subsequent days.

Do I have to pay postage to return my ballot?

If you are returning your ballot through USPS you need to pay first class postage. You may also choose to return your ballot in a secure drop box or Juneau Vote Center, and if so, you do not need to add postage.

What if I make a mistake while marking my ballot?

The ballot packet contains instructions about how to correct mistakes while marking your ballot. If you make a mistake on your ballot, you can request a replacement ballot from the Vote Center or you can correct it by striking through the oval and the candidate’s name or proposition answer that you do not want to vote for and filling in the oval beside the candidate or proposition you do wish to vote for write next to it “Valid vote for Candidate Name” or “Valid vote for “(Yes or No)” on Prop 1.”

I’ve already mailed my ballot or dropped it off in the drop box, is there anything I can do to change my vote now?

Once you’ve turned in or mailed your ballot, it is considered cast and it cannot be re-voted. If you have already mailed in or deposited your ballot at one of the drop boxes or vote centers, we cannot issue you a replacement ballot.

I’ve already filled out my ballot but not yet mailed it. Now I want to change something — can I get a replacement ballot?

If you have not yet sent in your voted ballot and want to destroy the ballot you received in the mail and be issued a replacement ballot, take your complete By Mail ballot package to one of our two Vote Centers and they can destroy that ballot packet and issue you a replacement. Vote Center issued ballots must be voted at the Vote Center and cannot be removed from the Vote Center for voting at a later time.

If there were a replacement issued from a vote center, but your initial ballot was already mailed, only the first ballot received would count and any subsequent ballot would be rejected. In addition to that, the Voter Certification that you sign on your ballot return envelope states that you will not vote in any other manner in this election and has legal penalties for falsely signing the declaration.

What happens if someone requests a “replacement” ballot and tries to vote twice?

Ballot envelopes are assigned a unique barcode for each individual voter. Upon return, only one ballot envelope from any voter is accepted – the first one in. Others are rejected. Voting more than once in the same election, with the intent that your vote be counted more than once, is voter misconduct in the first degree under Alaska Statutes 15.56.040. Voter misconduct in the first degree is a class C felony.

What happens if someone intercepts my mail and votes my ballot?

When voting a ballot, you will be required to sign the Voter Certification and place a personal identifier (Date of Birth, AKDL, Voter ID#, or last 4 digits of SSN) on the return ballot envelope.

If you are casting your ballot at a Vote Center, you will be asked to show ID to verify your identity.

If the ballot is returned via mail or drop box, your signature on the return ballot envelope is compared to your signatures already on file with the State of Alaska – e.g. your registration document, prior election materials, motor vehicle transactions, PFD application, etc.

Election officials who adjudicate signatures are trained with techniques used to identify matches and forgeries. If two trained election officials agree that the signature doesn’t match, you will be contacted by mail and provided an opportunity to cure the discrepancy.

If I moved and forgot to update my voter registration, will my ballot be mailed to my old address and will someone else be able to vote it?

Your ballot is not forwarded to your new address, but each signature on a returned ballot envelope is reviewed by two trained election officials to ensure that your ballot isn’t voted by another person. If you move, forgot to update your voter registration, and didn’t receive your ballot in the mail, you can call 907-586-5278 for assistance. We recommend you go to a Juneau Vote Center to vote a questioned by-mail ballot package in person. You will be required to provide identification and a signature so we can verify your identity. When a new ballot package is issued to you, your previous ballot package mailed to the address on file will be voided, which is another way for election officials to tell that if it is returned, it wasn’t voted by you. By voting a questioned ballot at a Vote Center, this also serves as a means to update your address on file with the State of Alaska Division of Elections.

What should I do if I receive someone else’s ballot?

If you receive a ballot that is not addressed to you or anyone in your household, cross out the address listed on the ballot and write “NOT AT THIS ADDRESS”. Do not open the ballot. Place the unopened ballot back in the mail as a “Return to Sender”. This is the first step in updating the voter registration list. Those voters can still vote a questioned ballot in person or request a ballot to a temporary address. Thanks for helping the State of Alaska Division of Elections update the voter registration list!

What if I moved out of Juneau and forgot to update or cancel my voter registration?
You will need to cancel your voter registration through the State of Alaska Division of Elections, they oversee the voter rolls. https://www.elections.alaska.gov/Core/cancelyouralaskavoterregistration.php or call the Division of Elections at 907-465-3021 or toll-free: 1-866-948-8683.

How do I know that my ballot will remain secret since I have to put my signature and personal identifier on the return ballot envelope?

The Assembly has directed us to conduct CBJ Municipal Elections using the Vote By Mail method. This method requires us to issue a return ballot envelope that has your name and a unique bar code on it so we can track which voters have cast a ballot and ensure only one vote is cast per voter.  When you vote your ballot, you place that ballot into the secrecy sleeve and that packet is then enclosed in your return ballot envelope. The return ballot envelope does require you to sign the voter certificate under the flap and to place one personal identifier under your signature so we can compare the signature and personal information on file with that in the State of Alaska Division of Elections voter records. Should a ballot be placed in one of the ballot drop boxes or vote center ballot boxes without being enclosed in a return ballot envelope, it is not eligible for counting and will be rejected.

Once we receive your return ballot envelope with the secrecy sleeve and ballot inside, we scan the return ballot envelope to ensure no other ballot issued under that name and bar code has been received and processed. It then goes through a voter eligibility/signature review process and is forwarded to a 3 or 4 person team who will be opening and removing the ballots from the return ballot envelope. The 3-4 person Opening/Counting Team sits around a square table and uses the following methods to ensure the privacy/secret ballot for all voters:

• Team members count and double count each sealed ballot return envelope in a batch to ensure it matches the total number of returned envelopes processed in each batch;
• Team members then slice open the return ballot envelopes in preparation for opening and ballot removal;
• Team member 1 places all return ballot envelopes on the table with the names/signatures face down so the election workers are only looking at the side of the envelope that has the CBJ P.O. Box Mailing Address on it;
• Team member 1 then removes the secrecy sleeve with ballot enclosed from the return ballot envelope and hands the secrecy sleeve and ballot to Team member 2;
  • If using a team of 4 – Team member 1 hands the return ballot envelope to Team member 4 who ensures the envelope remains in a stack with the PO Box address side-up;
  • If using a team of 3 – Team member 1 places the empty return ballot envelope in stack with the PO Box address side-up;
• Team member 2 removes the folded ballot from the secrecy sleeve and passes the folded ballot to Team member 3; Team member 2 places the empty secrecy sleeves into a stack on the table away from Team member 3;
• Team member 3 unfolds the ballots and places them in a bin in the middle of the table;
• Team member 4 counts all the ballots placed in the bin by Team member 3 to ensure they reconcile with the same number of ballots that were counted initially at step one in the process above and the tray is placed in a secure cage ready for the ballot scanning/tabulation/adjudication steps that will take place after 8pm Election Day through certification of the election.

Where is the new Juneau Ballot Processing Center located?

The new City and Borough of Juneau Ballot Processing Center (BPC) is in a grey warehouse located at 1325 Eastaugh Way which is located just off Thane Road and behind the tour bus parking lot.

When did CBJ first consider By Mail voting? 

• In 2007, the Assembly changed the Election Code to allow for elections to be conducted by mail.
• In 2020, CBJ partnered with the Municipality of Anchorage to conduct the regular election by mail due to the pandemic. Due to its success and increased voter turnout, CBJ decided to conduct the 2021 Regular Municipal Election in the same way.
• In 2021, the CBJ Assembly appropriated funds for the creation of the new CBJ Ballot Processing Center so that all CBJ election ballot processing could be conducted in Juneau.
• In 2022, the Assembly passed a motion on April 25 to conduct the October 4, 2022 as a by mail Election.
• In 2023, the Assembly directed staff to make all the necessary code changes to make by mail voting the default method for conducting CBJ elections. On May 17 the CBJ Assembly adopted Ordinance 2023-24 An Ordinance Amending The Elections Code Relating to Elections Procedures, which directs the Election Official to conduct all elections by mail, unless otherwise directed by the Assembly.

• NEW! Ordinance 2023-24 Amending the Elections Code, Adopted May 17, 2023 (effective date June 16, 2023)
• Timeline Memo to Assembly for October 3, 2023 Municipal Election
• Quick Reference Dates for October 2, 2023 Municipal Election (working draft 5/25/23 subject to change.)
• Elections Code Link
• CBJ Charter and Code Excerpts re: Initiative and Referendum Process (please note these are convenience reference copies and if the event of any discrepancies, please see official copies on CBJ Law Dept. website.)
• Petition Process Flow Chart
• Juneau Voter Turnout Statistics 1990-2020
• Assembly District Maps

1) How to Run – Introduction
2) How to Run – The Job
3) How to Run – Legal Requirements
4) How to Run – Campaigns
5) How to Run – Preparing to Run

Link to Filing a Candidate Public Official Financial Disclosure Statement (required to run for office)

Alaska Public Offices Commission Link for Public Official Financial Disclosure Forms

Alaska Public Offices Commission Link for Campaign Disclosure Forms

Step – by – Step Guide to filing an APOC POFD

APOC Candidate Training Resources

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2023 Candidate Filing Documents

Click on the links below for the Declaration of Candidacy, Nomination Petition packets.
This year the following seats will be on the October 3, 2023 Regular Municipal Election Ballot:

• • ASSEMBLYMEMBER – AREAWIDE (2 seats) [Updated 6/28/2023]
  • ASSEMBLYMEMBER – DISTRICT 1 (1 seat)
  • ASSEMBLYMEMBER – DISTRICT 2 (1 seat)
  • BOARD OF EDUCATION (School Board Member) (2 seats)

To be eligible to vote in the City and Borough of Juneau, you must register 30 days prior to the municipal election, at an address within the City and Borough of Juneau.

If a voter has changed a name, residence address or mailing address, an updated voter registration application should be completed. Voters may register to vote at any of the following locations during regular office hours:

• State Division of Elections’ Office, 240 Main St., Room 601, Monday – Friday
• State Division of Elections – Region I Office, Mendenhall Mall, Monday – Friday
• Municipal Building, 155 S. Seward St., Clerk’s Office Room 202, Monday – Friday; and
• Any CBJ Library – check schedule for hours: http://www.juneau.org/library/contact_branch.php
• Check your Voter Registration status or apply on-line at https://myvoterinformation.alaska.gov/

What if I moved out of Juneau and forgot to update my voter registration?
You will need to cancel your voter registrations through the State of Alaska/Division of Elections, they oversee the voter rolls. https://www.elections.alaska.gov/Core/cancelyouralaskavoterregistration.php or call the Division of Elections at 907-465-3021 or toll-free: 1-866-948-8683.

If you have any questions, please contact the State Division of Elections directly at 907-465-3021.

• Archive Page

For additional assistance regarding any Municipal Election, please do not hesitate to contact:

CBJ Clerk’s Office
155 South Seward Street, Room 202
Juneau, AK 99801
Telephone: (907)586-5278 FAX: (907)586-4550 TDD: (907)586-5351
[email protected] 

• POLITICAL SIGNS & CBJ SIGN ORDINANCE INFO
  • Political signs do not require a CBJ Sign Permit for placement, but they must meet the following standards found in CBJ Ordinance 49.45.300:
  • Unlighted, political signs of up to thirty-two square feet each may be displayed on private property.
  • Signs may be installed no sooner than ninety days prior to the election date and shall be removed within five working days after the election date.
  • Political signs not relating to a specific election shall be limited to a display period not to exceed ninety days within one calendar year.
  • Unlighted political signs of up to four square feet may be displayed on private property up to two hundred seventy days prior to the election date and shall be removed within five working days after the election date.
  • Signs must be placed in a manner that does not obstruct the view of drivers to oncoming traffic.
  • Signs may not imitate traffic signs or signals, or be attached to or be placed adjacent to any utility pole, parking meter, traffic sign, signal, or official traffic control device.
  • Signs may not move, rotate or flash.
  • Signs on licensed, functional motor vehicles are allowed, provided that the primary use of the vehicle is not the display of signs and that such vehicle is not used as a static display for advertising. The State of Alaska Department of Transportation updated their sign rules in 2018. Please see the complete details regarding those requirements on their website at https://dot.alaska.gov/stwddes/dcsrow/campaignsigns.shtml
  • Questions regarding this may be directed to Right-of-Way Agent, AK DOT, 465-4546.
  • Starting September 15 when the Secure Ballot Drop Boxes open, no signs are to be displayed within 200 feet of any entrance to the Vote Centers or in proximity of one of the Secure Drop Boxes. [During the hours the polls are open, a person who is in the polling place or within 200 feet of any entrance to the polling place may not attempt to persuade a person to vote for or against a candidate, proposition, or question. (AS 15.15.170)]

LOOKING FOR RESULTS?

The Canvass Review Board has completed its work and the October 4, 2022 Regular Municipal Election is fully certified as of Wednesday, October 19, 2022.

Information Release on Certified Election Results

FINAL CERTIFIED RESULTS – as of Wednesday, October 19, 2022

Revised Unofficial Results – Updated Friday, October 14, 2022

Revised Unofficial Results – Updated Friday, October 7, 2022

ELECTION NIGHT – Preliminary Unofficial Results

Notice of Election of the October 4, 2022 Regular Municipal Election

October 4, 2022 Sample Ballot

In person polling places were not used in CBJ By-Mail Elections but voters had the option to go to one of our two Vote Centers for assistance or drop off their voted ballot at one of the below Drop Boxes on Election Day (see below for details).

Juneau Vote Centers

Services available at the Juneau Vote Centers include:

• Drop off voted ballots
• Request a New or Replacement Ballot
• Request voter assistance
• Register to vote or update voter registration-for future elections.

Vote Center Locations & Hours:

City Hall Assembly Chambers, 155 S. Seward St.
Weekdays, September 19 – October 3: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Election Day, October 4: 7:00 am – 8:00 pm

Mendenhall Valley Public Library, 3025 Dimond Park Loop
Weekdays, September 19 – October 3: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturdays, Sept. 24 & Oct. 1: 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Election Day, October 4: 7:00 am – 8:00 pm

Secure Ballot Drop Boxes
Were open from September 15, 2022 until 8:00 p.m. on October 4, 2022 at the following locations:

Auke Bay-Statter Harbor BOAT LAUNCH Parking Lot
(NOT the Harbor Office parking lot.)
11801 Glacier Hwy, Auke Bay

or

Douglas Library/Fire Hall Community Building
1016 3rd Street, Douglas

2022 Absentee Voting Forms:

At this time, all absentee voting options have passed their deadlines.

2022 CBJ Temporary Address Application

The deadline to receive a municipal ballot at a temporary address