Petitions

1.1 General Petition Information
1.2 Petition Book Guidelines
1.3 Determination of Voter Qualifications for Petitions
1.4 Petition Flowchart
1.5 Sample Affidavit for Petitions

• Ordinance 2025-14 An Ordinance Amending the CBJ Title 29 Code Relating to Elections Processes and Procedures. (Adopted 3/3/2025 – effective 4/3/2025)
• Oct. 7, 2025 Regular Municipal Election Timeline Memo & Quick Dates (Revised 3/17/2025)
• Elections Code Link
• Petition Process Flow Chart
• Juneau Voter Turnout Statistics 1990-2023
• Assembly District Maps

To be eligible to vote in the City and Borough of Juneau, voters 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 Annex, Monday – Friday
• Municipal Building, 155 Heritage Way, Clerk’s Office Room 214/215, Monday – Friday; and
• Any CBJ Library – check schedule for hours: http://www.juneau.org/library/contact_branch.php
• Check your Voter Registration status at https://myvoterportal.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.

I am not yet 18 years old but will turn 18 before Election Day, can I register to vote?

In accordance with Alaska Statute 15.07.040, a person under 18 years of age may register at any time within 90 days immediately preceding the person’s 18th birthday. However, they may not vote or participate in the election process, such as signing a petition as a registered voter, until their 18th birthday.

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

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 2025 Regular Municipal Election will be mailed out by September 19. Voters have many options for returning their mailed ballots during the 2-week period through Election Day, October 7, including:

• Voters may return their ballot by placing them in a secure drop box
• Voters may return their ballot at a Juneau Vote Center
• 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 a Vote Center – dates/times/locations will be announced by September 7, 2025. 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 set out in CBJ Code Title 29, and in accordance to Ordinance 2025-14, will be published on this website at least 40 days prior to Election Day.

Candidates and campaign groups that are officially registered with APOC have an opportunity to assign observers to each voting location. All observers are required to contact the Election Official and complete a training in advance of becoming a registered observer. Complete details are available in the Observer Handbook.

I’m out of town during the entire election time. What are my options?
You can either receive a ballot by postal mail at a temporary address or apply to receive an e-ballot by fax or email.

Postal mail to a temporary address: The last day to apply to receive your ballot at a temporary address is Tuesday, September 30, 2025. Ballots returned through the mail must be legibly postmarked no later than Election Day, October 7, 2025 and received by the Clerk’s Office no later than the beginning of the Canvass Review Board process on Monday, October 20, 2025.

Eballot/Fax Application. Upon receipt of a completed Eballot/Fax application, we will email or fax you a ballot. You need to print the application form, complete and sign it and return it via fax to 907-586-4550 or via email to [email protected]. Applications for fax/Eballot must be received by the Clerk’s Office by 5:00 p.m. AKST Monday, October 6, 2025. Ballots returned by fax or email must arrive by 8:00 p.m. AKST on Election Day, Tuesday, October 7, 2025. The Eballot process requires the ability to print! Digital signatures or digitally marked ballots will not be accepted.

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 22 through Election Day, October 7. These machines allow users to vote with an audio ballot, tactile interface, or sip-and-puff and are available to all registered voters.

If you for some reason, you do 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, the registered sponsor of a ballot initiative, your employer, agents of your employer, or officers or an agent of your union. Special Needs Voting ballots will be available at Vote Centers and must be returned to a Vote Center by 8:00 p.m. AKST on Election Day, October 7.

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 10am-4pm and there may be some additional hours on days as the workloads require.

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 CBJ officially designated drop box, and if so, you do not need to add postage.

How often are the ballot drop boxes emptied and what security is provided?
Ballot drop boxes are emptied once per day and twice on Election Day by trained election workers working in teams of two at all times. Ballots collected from the drop boxes are deposited into ballot bags which are then locked with uniquely numbered security seals. The secure ballot bags are transported immediately to the CBJ Ballot Processing Center just off of Thane Road. Ballot bag handling is tracked at all times with documentation known as a chain of custody.

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.”

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. Ballots suspected of voter fraud are referred to the Juneau Police Department for possible prosecution.

What happens if someone intercepts my mail and votes my ballot?
As noted above, each individual voter is assigned a unique bar code/number for each CBJ election. Your return ballot envelope will have your name and unique bar code pre-printed on it. 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 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. 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.  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, RETURN TO SENDER”. 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 by mail election process requires us to issue a return ballot envelope that has your name and a unique bar code on it so we can make sure that everyone only votes once.  When you vote your ballot, you place that ballot into the secrecy sleeve which is then enclosed in your return ballot envelope. Ballots returned without the outside envelope (the one with the barcode and signature) are rejected.

Once we receive your return ballot envelope with the secrecy sleeve and ballot inside, we scan the return ballot envelope to ensure you only voted once. Then the ballot envelope goes through a voter eligibility/signature review process. Ballot envelopes that pass the review process are opened in the following manner:

• Team members count the number of envelopes in the batch
• Team members then slice open the top of the envelope
• Team member 1 places all envelopes on the table with the names/signatures face down
• Team member 1 then removes the secrecy sleeve with ballot enclosed from the envelope and hands the secrecy sleeve with enclosed ballot to Team member 2; Team member 1 places the empty envelopes in a stack face down
• Team member 2 removes the folded ballot from the secrecy sleeve and passes the folded ballot to Team member 3
• Team member 3 unfolds the ballot and puts it in a bin
• Team member 3 counts the number of ballots to make sure it matches the number of envelopes in the batch

I received a letter saying that there was something wrong with my ballot – how do I fix it so my ballot will be counted?
After we receive your ballot, a signature/identification process takes place in accordance with CBJ Elections Code 29.07.150. During that process, if a signature or personal identifier is missing or doesn’t match that on file with CBJ Elections or the State of Alaska Division of Elections, you will receive a “CURE LETTER” identifying what needs fixing before we can approve your ballot for counting. There are a variety of possible reasons for receiving a cure letter and the appropriate box will be checked on your letter as to the steps needed to “CURE” your ballot’s particular issue. Please follow the instructions and contact our Ballot Processing Center at 907-586-5278 option 4 if you have any questions.

When will election results be available?
Ballot tabulation 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 7. Updated unofficial results will periodically be 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 21, 2025. 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 likely 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.

Why will you be publishing the preliminary results on Election night if they are not final? Do you expect most of the ballots to come in prior to Election Day?
Historically speaking, we have always published preliminary unofficial results on Election Day with additional subsequent results after the absentee and questioned ballots were reviewed and approved and our community has grown to expect those types of results on Election night.  Approximately 50% of the returned ballots are received prior to Election Day with the remainder being received on Election Day or via USPS between Election Day and the day we certify the election. Ballots received via USPS have to be postmarked with a legible postmark on or before Election Day to be eligible for counting.

Where is the Juneau Ballot Processing Center located?
The 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, turn right onto Mill Street and then turn right onto Estaugh Way. It is in the CBJ warehouse (entrance closest to downtown) on the right side of the street located 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 2019-2020, the State of Alaska notified local jurisdictions that they would no longer be sharing the precinct polling place election equipment with municipalities so all Alaskan municipalities were required to find alternative solutions for conducting local elections.
• 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 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.

• 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:

• • Unlit political signs up to thirty-two square feet each may be displayed on private property.
  • Signs may be installed ninety days prior to the election and shall be removed within five working days after the election.
  • Political signs not relating to a specific election shall be limited to ninety days within one calendar year.
  • Unlit political signs of up to four square feet may be displayed on private property up to two hundred seventy days prior to the election and shall be removed within five working days after the election.
  • 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 the 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 three weeks prior to Election Day, 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)]

Election Workers Wanted!

Are you a civic-minded, hardworking Juneau resident interested in your local elections? Come work for us! We have a variety of jobs with different time commitments, locations, and task requirements. For the 2025 election, we will be paying $20.28 per hour.

Contact Deputy Municipal Clerk Andi Hirsh at [email protected] or [email protected], or 907-586-5278 to learn more.

Election Worker Qualifications

• registered to vote in Juneau;
• enjoy interaction with the public; and
• ability to perform duties in a neutral/non-partisan fashion.

An election worker should not work or volunteer on the campaign of a candidate or a ballot petition that appears on the municipal ballot.  In addition, an election worker cannot have a familial relationship with a candidate on the municipal ballot or a familial relationship with a member of a petitioner’s committee. A familial relationship includes:

• parent, parent-in-law, stepparent;
• sibling, sibling-in-law, step-sibling;
• child, child-in-law, stepchild;
• spouse; or
• person sharing the same living quarters.