You’ve got mail: Your questions about Juneau’s 2020 election answered

A mail-in ballot for Juneau’s 2020 municipal election. (Photo by Rashah McChesney/KTOO)
A mail-in ballot for Juneau’s 2020 municipal election. (Photo by Rashah McChesney/KTOO)

The City and Borough of Juneau is holding its first by-mail election. Instead of heading to the polls, residents who are registered voters should have gotten ballots in their mailboxes. 

That means things will work differently this year — ballots returned by mail must be postmarked by Oct. 6. That means you can’t just throw it in the slot after the post office is closed on election day.

Also, initial election results won’t come out that night. We’ll have to wait until at least Oct. 9 to know the unofficial results. Official election results should be certified on Oct. 20. 

But people are asking a lot of questions about how and when and where they can vote. 

The city has a pretty comprehensive list of answers to common questions. The election staff sent over a list of the questions they’re getting — and answered them. 

We want to hear from you. What are your questions and concerns? Fill out the form below and we’ll do our best to get them answered between now and election day. We’ll update this post with those answers, so check back often. 

 

Answers to your questions


I didn’t get a ballot, or I spilled coffee on my ballot, or I threw away my ballot, not realizing what it was. How do I get a ballot?

You may go to a vote center to get a replacement ballot and vote at the vote center in person. If you are not able to go to a vote center, you can also get an e-ballot by contacting the CBJ Elections Office at 907-364-7401 or cbjelections@juneau.org.

 The vote centers are located at City Hall and at the Mendenhall Valley Public Library during these dates and times:

  • City Hall – Assembly Chambers (155 S Seward Street)
    • Weekdays, Sept. 21 – Oct. 5 at 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
    • Election Day, Oct. 6 at 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.
  • Mendenhall Valley Public Library (3025 Dimond Park Loop)
    • Weekdays, Sept. 21 – Oct. 5 at 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
    • Saturdays, Sept. 26 & Oct. 3 at 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
    • Election Day, Oct. 6 at 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.

I received a ballot in the mail for someone who doesn’t live here anymore – what should I do with it?

Cross out the address, write “return to sender – no longer at this address” and drop it in the mail. These returned envelopes will be provided to the State of Alaska Division of Elections to help the state maintain the voter registration list.

What do I do with the perforated ballot stub on the ballot?

The ballot stub is used by the printer to account for the number of ballots issued. The one you received with your ballot in the mail has no use to the voter or CBJ elections – you may remove it and throw it away. If you do not remove it and have sealed your ballot with the stub in your return envelope, election staff will remove it and your ballot will be processed. For ballots issued at a vote center, those ballot stubs will be retained by vote center workers to ensure ballot accountability at each of the vote center locations.

Where is the drop box at Statter Harbor?

One of the ballot drop boxes is in Auke Bay, in the Statter Harbor Boat Launch parking lot. This is not the parking lot by the Harbormaster’s office. It is next to the launching ramp in the large, new parking lot across from Squires Rest.

Secure Ballot Drop Boxes are placed at the following locations and are open to accept ballots until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, October 6, 2020:

How can I be sure that my ballot was received by election officials and counted on if submitted via drop box?

Voters wishing to check the status of their ballots can contact our Election Call Center at 364-7401 and they can check to see if it has made it to the stage in the process for scanning at the Anchorage Election Center.  Election officials won’t be able to look up individual ballots until they go through the scanning and sorting process in Anchorage, but they’re continuously processing ballots received via all methods and in all locations (Anchorage by mail, ballot drop boxes and at Vote Centers).

City clerk Beth McEwen will fly to Anchorage on October 8 with the final batch of drop box and Vote Center ballots.

If there are any issues that need to be resolved with a voter’s return ballot envelope, the voter will receive a “signature cure” letter asking them to provide additional information. This should happen within three days of their ballot being processed in Anchorage.  Ballots from the drop boxes that go through the scanning process and do not need a signature cure letter will be counted and included with the unofficial preliminary results to be published on October 9.

Can my spouse witness my return ballot envelope? 

Yes, anyone over the age of 18, regardless of their relationship with you, may witness your signature on the return ballot envelope. If the person is unknown to you, please show them ID. Also, a Vote Center worker will be happy to witness your signature on your ballot at one of the Vote Centers, just show them your ID. If all else fails, the Assembly adopted an emergency ordinance addressing this issue and has stated that if all other voter identification matches a returned ballot, including voter signature verification, the ballot will not be discounted for the lack of a witness.

Do I need a witness when I sign my ballot?

Despite what it says on the ballots, voters in Juneau’s municipal election do not need a witness signature for their vote to be counted.

The Juneau Assembly passed an emergency ordinance Monday waiving the requirement for the Oct. 6 by-mail election.

My ballot has candidates for District 1, District 2 and Areawide – which Assembly District race do I vote for? 

Municipal elections differ from State of Alaska elections in that the Assembly districts reflect the residency of the candidate only, and every voter can vote for every race on the ballot. Candidates are elected by all voters and serve all voters.  The candidate residency districts ensure a geographic diversity of representation on the Juneau Assembly.

How much postage is required to mail my ballot? 

If you choose to mail your ballot rather than drop it at a vote center or a drop box, it requires a 55-cent stamp, also known as a forever stamp.

Where can I find more information about Proposition 1? 

The ballot registered voters should have received by mail includes language explaining the purpose of the charter commission. A document prepared by former city Clerk Laurie Sica also explains the history of this ballot question, which appears every ten years, including how voters have voted on it in the past.

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