Preliminary unofficial results for CBJ Municipal Election available Friday, Oct. 9

Today, October 6, is the final day to vote in the City and Borough of Juneau Municipal Election either by mail, drop box, or vote center. In order to allow for the accurate and secure processing of ballots, unofficial results will first be available on Friday, October 9.

All ballot return envelopes will be processed at the Anchorage Election Center by trained election officials. This year’s CBJ election is being conducted in partnership with the Municipality of Anchorage (MOA), which has conducted several successful vote-by-mail elections. The partnership allows CBJ to use Anchorage’s Election Center and staffing resources, saving CBJ the need to purchase the vote-by-mail equipment and set up an Election Center.

How ballots are processed

Ballots returned to the CBJ Vote Centers and through the Secure Ballot Drop Boxes are collected daily, batched, and go through a preliminary review process in Juneau to ensure a voter signature is on each envelope. Return ballots sent through the U.S. Postal Service are being mailed to a CBJ P.O. Box located in Anchorage and are collected daily by MOA Election Team members, who begin the ballot review process.

After 8 p.m. today – when Juneau Vote Centers and Secure Ballot Drop Boxes close – CBJ Election Staff will collect and batch all remaining ballots received in Juneau and, later this week, will fly up to Anchorage with those ballots to begin the preliminary counting process.

In Anchorage, CBJ Election Officials will work with the MOA Election Team to review ballots. Any voter whose ballot return envelope has been found deficient for any reason (such as lack of voter signature) will be sent a “Cure Letter” from the MOA/CBJ Election team within three days of processing the ballot return envelope. Voters who receive cure letters must follow the instructions on the cure letter prior to Oct. 20, when the Canvass Board certifies the election.

Ballots received before Oct. 20, but postmarked on or before Oct. 6, will be sorted, reviewed, verified or sent cure letters, and ultimately processed, tabulated and the results will be added to final results for certification.

Unofficial results available Oct. 9

A preliminary tally of all ballot return envelopes received through mail, at Juneau Vote Centers, and in the Secure Ballot Drop Boxes will be available on Friday, Oct. 9, as “unofficial results.” Review work will then continue on mailed ballots and a second round of “unofficial results” will be available on Oct. 16. The Canvass Board will meet on Tuesday, Oct. 20 to certify the official results and the election. All results will be posted on juneau.org/clerk/elections.

Last chance to vote

Again, today is the final day to vote in the CBJ municipal election. Get your ballot postmarked today, or drop it off at a Secure Ballot Drop Box (Douglas Library or Boat Launch Parking Lot at Statter Harbor) or at a Juneau Vote Center (City Hall or Valley Library) by 8 p.m. today. At the Vote Center, you can also replace a lost or damaged ballot, or receive a ballot if you did not receive one in the mail.

Questions? Call 907-364-7401 or go to CBJ’s Election page: juneau.org/clerk/elections.