Municipal clerk reports ballot mailings, drop boxes and vote-center schedule for March election

Municipal clerk staff told the committee the office has completed worker training and is preparing ballot mailings, drop-box deployment and vote-center operations for the upcoming municipal election.

Municipal election staffer Mr. Northwell reported that the office held election-worker training that included signature verification, hazardous materials and de‑escalation training; he credited trainer Ryan Lane for his de‑escalation session. The clerk’s office said it had sent 1,385 ballot packages to overseas and military voters and plans to mail approximately 204,493 ballot packages to Anchorage voters on March 11. The office reported 332 temporary address applications received to date.

Staff said logic-and-accuracy testing of scanning, adjudication and tabulation equipment is scheduled and that drop boxes will be deployed the week before ballots arrive; drop boxes are scheduled to open on the same day ballots are mailed. Vote centers will open March 25 at City Hall, Loussac Library and Eagle River Town Center for in-person voting and voter assistance.

When asked about staffing, the clerk’s office said it is fully staffed for election roles except one position that may be filled by a clerk’s office staffer. Committee members raised questions about a drop box in Girdwood and whether limited staffed vote-center hours might be feasible; staff said the Girdwood drop box exists but there was no prior plan to staff a temporary vote center there.

The clerk’s office emphasized the registration deadline (Sunday, March 2) and requested that assembly members help publicize the election to community councils and constituents ahead of the mailings and outreach cycle.