Voting & Elections

The administration of local elections and state elections are similar when held separately. However, combining the election times would be costly and disruptive for voters, workers, and taxpayers.

The State of Alaska requires separate election workers for state and local elections. The equipment, such as tabulators, cannot be shared for state and local elections.

October elections avoid the complications of competing with state and federal elections for workers, polling places, and equipment.

The borough has successfully conducted elections in October for decades, ensuring stability and predictability for voters. October elections keep borough issues front and center, without being overshadowed by high-profile state and federal campaigns.

If you are interested in becoming an election worker for the local election, contact the borough clerk’s office. All election workers must be a registered voter in the borough, be willing to work an approximate 16 hour day or more on Election Day, remain non-partisan on Election Day and not express any political opinions while on the job and must attend a paid training session. Please note that election workers cannot have a familial relationship with a candidate on the ballot.

Contact the borough clerk’s office for more information.

Many polling places are simply not big enough to accommodate two sets of equipment, workers, and voters simultaneously. This would force the Borough to search for new polling sites—an additional cost and inconvenience for voters.

The Borough currently shares voting booths, signs, tables, and other equipment with the State. The Borough would need to purchase its own full set of equipment for every polling location.

The State of Alaska requires separate election workers for state and local elections.

Many of our experienced election workers already serve the state in November.

The Borough would have to recruit and train an entirely new pool of election workers.

The full fiscal impacts are unknown. Changing the election date will impact the availability of polling locations as well as the availability of election workers since the State of Alaska has stated separate election workers are needed for each election, and will require purchasing election equipment such as voting booths, signs, tables and chairs for each polling location.