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Elections
The Borough Clerk's Office is responsible for administering all Borough elections. The regular Borough election is held on the first Tuesday in October of each year to elect members to the Borough Assembly and School Board. Propositions, as approved by the Assembly or by initiative petition, may also be included on the ballot.
The 2023 Regular Borough election will be held on Tuesday October 3, 2023.
October 3, 2023 Borough Election Timeline
Candidate Filing
Each year the Ketchikan Gateway Borough has elective seats open for the offices of members of the Borough Mayor and Assembly, and School Board Members. In order for a candidate's name to appear on the ballot, qualified candidates must declare candidacy and submit the required paperwork to the Borough Clerk between August 1 and 25th. Filing forms and instructions will be available July 1.
| The following seats will be on the October 3, 2023 ballot for election: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Assembly | (3) 3-year terms: | Jeremy Bynum; Judith McQuerry; Amanda Pierce |
| School Board | (2) 3-year terms | Diane Gubatayao; Paul Robbins, Jr. |
Election Ballots
Sample ballots for the October 3, 2023, Borough election will be available on September 13, 2023.
Voter Registration
In order to be a qualified voter of the Borough you must be registered to vote in State elections at a residence address in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough not less than 30 days prior to the election. Residents may register to vote at the Borough Clerk's Office and may also register or update voter information online using the State of Alaska's new online voter registration system at https://voterregistration.alaska.gov/
Voter registration is administered by the State Division of Elections.
Voting Precincts
For the convenience of the voters, the Borough has seven precincts with a designated polling place in each precinct. The table below provides detailed information on the polling places.
| Precinct | Location |
|---|---|
| Ketchikan No. 1 |
Gateway Recreation Center 601 Schoenbar Rd. |
| Ketchikan No. 2 |
The Plaza 2417 Tongass Avenue |
| Ketchikan No. 3 |
AMHS Ferry Terminal 3501 Tongass Avenue |
| North Tongass No. 1 |
North Tongass Fire Station 6 7550 North Tongass Hwy |
| North Tongass No. 2 |
North Tongass Fire Station 8 13110 North Tongass Hwy |
| Saxman |
Saxman Community Center 2841 South Tongass Hwy |
| South Tongass |
South Tongass Alliance Church 376 Old Homestead Road |
Candidate & Public Official Information
In order for a candidate’s name to appear on the October 3, 2023 Borough ballot, the candidate must complete and submit the proper filing forms.
Filing for Borough office occurs between August 1st and 25th. Nominating petitions are made available by the Borough Clerk on July 1st. Qualified candidates must submit the completed declaration of candidacy along with the signatures of at least ten (10) qualified Borough voters.
All candidates must also complete and submit the 2023 APOC Public Official Financial Disclosure Statement. These forms must be submitted together to the Borough Clerk’s office no later than 5:00 p.m. on August 25, 2023. For information regarding candidate and official disclosure statements or to file a disclosure statement online, contact the Alaska Public Offices Commission.
Qualifications for Borough Mayor Candidates
- Borough resident for at least one year prior to the election
- Registered to vote in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough 30 days prior to the election
Qualifications for Borough Assembly Candidates
- Borough resident for at least one year prior to the election
- Registered to vote in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough 30 days prior to the election
Qualifications for Borough School Board Candidates
- Borough resident for at least 30 days prior to the election
- Registered to vote in the Ketchikan Gateway Borough 30 days prior to the election
You may vote as early as 15 days prior to a Borough election: early or absentee in person, absentee by mail, or by electronic transmission.
Early or Absentee In Person
- Borough Clerk's Office or City Clerk's Office 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., September 18 - October 2, 2023
Absentee By Mail
- Apply beginning January 1 for all elections within the calendar year: Absentee-by-Mail Ballot Request
- Apply no later than seven days prior to the election
- Use valid mailing address
- Read instructions carefully, sign and have witness sign certificate
- Return mail in envelope provided
- Must be received by the Borough Clerk prior to the beginning of the canvass board meeting.
Absentee By Fax
- Apply beginning 30 days prior to the Borough election.
- Apply no later than 5 p.m. the day before the election
- Have valid fax number
- Read instructions carefully, sign, and have witness sign certificate
- Return by fax or by mail.
- Ballots returned by fax must be received by 8:00 p.m. election night.
- Ballots returned by mail must be received by the Clerk prior to the beginning of the canvass board meeting.
Accessibility Assistance Information
Assistance by a Person
You may have assistance during any stage of the electoral process. You may have a person of your choice provide assistance to you as long as that person is not a candidate, your employer, agent of your employer, or agent of your union. You may request assistance from an election worker at any voting location. The person you choose can help you in completing forms, reading voting materials and go into the voting booth with you to assist you in casting your ballot. Registration If you need assistance with registering to vote, you may have a person of your choice provide assistance. You may also contact the Ketchikan Gateway Borough Clerk’s Office or the State of Alaska Division of Elections.
Accessible Polling Places
The Ketchikan Gateway Borough makes every effort to ensure polling places are accessible to all of its voters. This sometimes includes temporary solutions, such as portable ramps, door knob converters, ballot call doorbells for those the who need assistance gaining entry to the polling place, and temporary van-accessible parking spots. Inside the polling place, the Ketchikan Gateway Borough provides magnifying viewers for the visually impaired. To locate your polling place, call 907.228.6605, or look up your voting record to obtain your polling place location using the State of Alaska’s Division of Elections My Voter Information online option.
Outreach
The Ketchikan Gateway Borough provides registrar and polling worker training. In addition to the Borough, the Division of Elections provides registrar training and/or voter outreach to a variety of community agencies, such as the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Access Alaska, Southeast Alaska Independent Living and Alaska State Independent Living Council.