Voting has begun for Anchorage Municipal Elections! The municipality is where many of the decisions that most directly impact our lives are made, and these elections are also where your vote often makes a big difference. So if you want a say in how our city handles climate action planning, housing policy, education, or whatever issue is most important to you, make sure to vote by April 1st!

This is an all-mail election. Ballots were mailed to all eligible voters in Anchorage on March 11th, so if you have not received yours yet, it should arrive very soon. There is no ranked-choice voting in the Municipal Election, so you will vote for your top candidate only in each race. Make sure to sign your ballot return envelope once you have filled it out!

You can return your ballot in one of three ways:

• Mail it in before Election Day, April 1st. Don’t forget a stamp! (And know your ballot must be postmarked by the 1st – so if you’re voting on the 1st, put it in the mailbox before your postal worker comes, or use one of the below options)
• Drop it in a secure dropbox anytime before 8pm on Election Day. You can find the nearest dropbox to you here.
• Drop it off at an Anchorage Vote Center – either City Hall, the Loussac Library, or the Eagle River Town Center – on or after March 25th.

If you didn’t receive a ballot yet, or need to replace a damaged ballot, all three Anchorage Vote Centers have ballots for all districts available starting March 25th.

If you have any other questions about voting in the Municipal Elections, you can more than likely find an answer on the municipality’s voter resources page.

Beyond Municipal level elections, each spring we have the opportunity to vote on who will decide where Anchorage gets its energy by electing our utility board members. Anyone who pays a bill to a utility cooperative is a member, and has the right to vote in annual elections for the utility Board. Through voting and engagement at public meetings, members have the power to help guide the vision and future of how our energy is produced. 

This year, The Alaska Center Board of Directors unanimously endorsed Katherine Jernstrom for the Chugach Electric Board. As a business owner, parent, and community leader, Katherine is deeply invested in Anchorage, and believes that affordable and reliable electricity is the foundation we need for a strong economy and a thriving community. There are drastic changes on the horizon for Alaska’s energy landscape, and Katherine has the experience necessary to navigate a period of major transition. 

We look forward to working together with our community to use our voices and votes to elect Katherine, and working with the Chugach Electric Board to create a just and sustainable energy future for Alaska. 

To learn more about the current energy landscape in Alaska, including updates on the utilities and regulatory bodies that oversee them, check out this newsletter from the Alaska Energy Transparency Project.

Happy Voting,

The Alaska Center