A cheat sheet for local elections

MAT-SU — Elections are taking place at the local level as well as the national level this year. Seats are up for election on the Houston, Palmer and Wasilla City Councils as well as the Mat-Su Borough Assembly and the Mat-Su Borough School District School Board.

Dates to remember

Sept. 21 to Oct. 5: Early Voting for Houston, Palmer and Wasilla.

Sept 29: The last day voters can request absentee by mail ballots in Palmer and Wasilla.

Oct. 6: General Election Day for cities of Houston, Palmer and Wasilla.

Oct. 19 to Nov. 2: Early voting for Mat-Su Borough, state and federal general elections.

Oct. 27: The last day Mat-Su Borough voters can send in a request for an absentee by mail ballot. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by Nov. 6.

Nov. 3: General Election Day for the Mat-Su Borough, state, congressional and presidential elections.

“Our election officials have been using the Personal Protective Equipment and it’s adequately supplied and our whole mission is keeping everyone safe,” said Palmer Clerk Norma Alley. “Safety is of concern and we’re trying to take best measures to keep everyone safe, our election officials and volunteers who are citizens as well.”

Polling places

The city of Palmer’s early voting station is located in the back of the Mat-Su Borough Assembly chambers in the Dorothy Swanda Jones Borough Building. On Election Day, the city of Palmer will use both the assembly chambers and Mat-Su Borough Gym as polling locations.

The city of Wasilla’s early voting station is located in City Hall. Both City Hall and the Wasilla Public Library will be utilized as polling places on Election Day.

The Mat-Su Borough will provide early voting stations at the Borough Building and at the Wasilla Public Library.

2020 absentee by mail ballot request numbers spike

Palmer voters requested 222 absentee by mail ballots and have already returned 59 of them. Palmer mailed absentee by mail ballot requests to each voter in their utility bill three separate months.

Wasilla voters requested 218 absentee by mail ballots and 20 have already been returned. Wasilla sent absentee by mail ballot requests to everyone 65 and older.

Mat-Su Borough voters have requested 1,909 absentee by mail ballots. Borough Clerk Lonnie McKechnie said that in a given election year with all precincts, approximately 500 absentee by mail ballots are requested.

“The biggest recommendation i have for absentee by mail is you vote it right away and get it back because the longer you wait the longer it takes to get it back in the mail and I would rather people just put it in the mail as soon as they can,” said McKechnie.

The Mat-Su Borough and state Division of Elections will share precincts in many places, allowing voters to access both their borough and state ballots simultaneously.

“There’s going to be one line. You sign the state register, get a state ballot. You sign the borough register and get a borough ballot,” said McKechnie.

Last year’s ballot counts

In Palmer’s 2019 election, 555 people cast ballots during their mayoral and council election last October. Of those 555 voters, 154 of them cast early, absentee, special needs, or questioned ballots.

In Wasilla’s 2019 election, 120 ballots were counted in the Council election last October. Of those 120 voters, 33 cast early, absentee or questioned ballots.

Alley has promoted the personal representative for those who wish to cast a ballot without leaving their home and without sending a ballot through the mail. Alley did warn that the personal representative ballots must be returned to the precinct or polling place and not deposited in the ballot box outside Palmer City Hall on Election day.

“Truly anyone who’s unable to leave their residence can have a personal representative and there are some people who would prefer not to have their ballot mailed to them. If they want it hand delivered this is a great alternative for them,” said Alley.

Valley election fun facts

McKechnie said that the target date for the borough to send absentee by mail ballots is on Oct. 14. There are over 49,000 registered voters in the 21 open precincts.

Alley said that Palmer’s early voting numbers have doubled already this year. The early voting location in Palmer is open from Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m .

Wasilla has a new website design including an election button on the front page with information about candidates and polling places.

“A candidate for mayor has to receive more than 40 percent of the votes cast. If not, we’re going to have a runoff and the runoff is between the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes,” said Wasilla clerk Jamie Newman.