Frequently Asked Questions Regarding a By-Mail Election in the City and Borough of Juneau

When is the 2020 Regular Municipal Election?

The 2020 Regular Municipal Election is Tuesday, October 6, 2020.

Who is eligible to vote in this election?

To vote in this election, you must be:

Qualified to vote in State of Alaska elections.

Registered to vote at an address within the City and Borough of Juneau for at least 30 days before an election.

How old must I be to vote?

You must be 18 years of age or older on Election Day in order to vote.

How do I vote in this election?

This election will be a Vote by Mail election.

Your ballot package will be mailed to you approximately three weeks before Election Day, giving you time to carefully research the ballot questions, mark the ballot, and return it in time for the ballot to be counted. You may return your ballot to a secure drop box, to a Juneau Vote Center, or mail it with first class postage. Additional instructions about how to vote by mail will be included in the ballot package.

Can I vote in person at a polling location?

Regular polling precincts will NOT be open on Election Day. You will be mailed a ballot. You may vote at a Juneau Vote Center by:

Dropping off your ballot return envelope containing your marked ballot.

Taking your unmarked ballot package to a Juneau Vote Center and marking your ballot in a voting booth.

Voting in-person at a Juneau Vote Center if you lose, damage or do not receive your mailed ballot.

In all cases, marked ballots are placed in a ballot return envelope and a secure ballot box for processing.

Locations and hours will be posted online by September 6, 2020.

How do I get help with voting questions?

You may access help with voting questions by:

Calling the Voter Hotline at (907) 364-7401 or send an email with your questions to cbjelections@juneau.org.

Visiting the Municipal Clerk’s Office at 155 S. Seward St., (call 907-364-7401 before visiting); or

Visiting a Juneau Vote Center (September 21 – October 6, 2020).

What is Vote by Mail?

Vote by Mail is an alternative ballot delivery system where ballots are mailed to eligible voters. Vote by Mail systems contrast to poll-based voting, where ballots are distributed to various polling locations. In the Juneau Vote by Mail system, voters will have the option of returning their mailed ballots in several ways to a central location for counting.

Voters may return their ballots by placing them in a secure drop box.

Voters may return their ballots to a Juneau Vote Center.

Voters may return their ballot by mail through the U.S. Postal Service using first class postage.

Are Vote by Mail elections secure?

Vote by Mail elections are secure. The Municipal Clerk’s Office takes election security seriously and helps to keep election secure by:

Not connecting Vote by Mail equipment to the internet.

Checking signatures following election signature verification protocols.

Emptying secure drop boxes often.

Training workers to securely handle voting materials.

Locking up voting materials and following strict ballot custody procedures.

Voters can also help to keep elections secure by:

Keeping their ballots safe.

Tearing ballots in half before throwing them away if not voting.

Following the instructions on the ballot and envelope.

Signing the return envelope in front of a witness and having the witness also sign the ballot return envelope.

Responding to letters and phone calls from election officials.

Reporting concerns to election officials right away.

Why did the City and Borough of Juneau decide to hold a Vote by Mail election?

In response to concerns about protecting public health during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Assembly has followed national and state guidelines and has developed new ways to provide public services. Sending a ballot to each qualified voter in the mail ensures that all voters have the maximum opportunity to vote in the October 6, 2020 regular municipal election while maintaining the safety and security of the voters and the voting process.

How was the decision to conduct a Vote by Mail election made?

In 2007, the Assembly voted to amend the election code to allow the Assembly to call for a by-mail municipal election to be conducted by a motion of the Assembly. In response to COVID-19, the Clerk’s office presented information on voting by mail and a proposal from the Municipality of Anchorage to offer its experience, equipment and staff to assist. On May 18, the Assembly passed a motion to conduct the Regular October 6, 2020 Municipal Election as a by-mail election. On June 29, the Assembly adopted Ordinance 2020-24(b), amending the election code to facilitate a by-mail election to be held on October 6, 2020.

How do I register to vote in Alaska?

Register to vote by visiting the

State of Alaska Voter Registration System (OLVR) online, or

Alaska Region I Elections Office at 9109 Mendenhall Mall Road, Suite 3, (call (907) 465-3021 before visiting)

City and Borough of Juneau Libraries

Municipal Clerk’s Office at 155 S. Seward St., (call 907-364-7401 before visiting)

For more information, call (907) 465-3021.

When do I register to vote to participate in an election?

You must be registered to vote 30 days before an election. The deadline to register for the October 6, 2020 municipal election is September 6, 2020.

Register to vote by visiting the

State of Alaska Voter Registration System (OLVR) online, or

Alaska Region I Elections Office at 9109 Mendenhall Mall Road, Suite 3, (call (907) 465-3021 before visiting)

City and Borough of Juneau Libraries

Municipal Clerk’s Office at 155 S. Seward St., (call 907-364-7401 before visiting)

For more information, call (907) 465-3021.

How old must I be to register to vote?

If you are under 18 years of age, you may register to vote anytime in the 90-day period before your 18th birthday. If you are 18 years of age or older, you may register to vote at any time.

Register to vote by visiting the

State of Alaska Voter Registration System (OLVR) online, or

Alaska Region I Elections Office at 9109 Mendenhall Mall Road, Suite 3, (call (907) 465-3021 before visiting)

City and Borough of Juneau Libraries

Municipal Clerk’s Office at 155 S. Seward St., (call 907-364-7401 before visiting)

For more information, call (907) 465-3021.

What do I do if my residence address and/or my permanent mailing address has changed?

If your residence address and/or your permanent mailing address has changed, update your registration with the State of Alaska Division of Elections as soon as possible by visiting the

State of Alaska Voter Registration System (OLVR) online, or

Alaska Region I Elections Office at 9109 Mendenhall Mall Road, Suite 3, (call (907) 465-3021 before visiting)

City and Borough of Juneau Libraries

Municipal Clerk’s Office at 155 S. Seward St., (call 907-364-7401 before visiting)

If your residence address changes less than 30 days before an election, you will be asked to vote a Questioned Ballot so that election officials can capture your new address to update the voter registration database.

For more information, call (907) 465-3021.

How do I cancel my State of Alaska voter registration?

Cancel your voter registration:

online, at the State of Alaska Division of Elections Website, Cancel Your Alaska Voter Registration webpage: https://www.elections.alaska.gov/Core/cancelyouralaskavoterregistration.php

in person, at the Alaska Region I Elections Office at 9109 Mendenhall Mall Road, Suite 3; (call (907) 465-3021 before visiting), or

by phone, call (907) 465-3021.

In early July, all registered Juneau voters were mailed a postcard encouraging them to check and update their voter registration information if need be. Below are some questions received related to those postcards.

I received my postcard in the mail but I also received a postcard for a person who used to live at my address, what do I do with their postcard?

If you received election mail addressed to a former resident at your mailing address or anyone else not a resident of your household, please mark it as “Return to Sender – not at this address” and return it to the post office. Ballot mail will not be forwarded. Any postcards we receive back as returned mail will be provided to the State of Alaska Division of Elections for their voter list maintenance follow-up procedures.

I did not receive a postcard at my current mailing address; what do I need to do?

Please check the State’s online (OLVR) system or call their number below for instructions on how to update your voter registration.

State of Alaska Voter Registration System (OLVR) online, or

Alaska Region I Elections Office at 9109 Mendenhall Mall Road, Suite 3, (call (907) 465-3021 before visiting)

City and Borough of Juneau Libraries

Municipal Clerk’s Office at 155 S. Seward St., (call 907-364-7401 before visiting)

I received my postcard in the mail but my address was messed up, what do I do?

Please contact our Election Call center at 907-364-7401 or send an email to cbjelections@juneau.org describing the errors and provide a phone number or email address at which we may be able to reach you.

When will ballots be mailed?

Ballot packages will be mailed three weeks before Election Day on September 15, 2020.

What will I receive in the ballot package?

Every ballot package will contain:

an official ballot;

a security sleeve;

instructions;

a ballot return envelope; and

an “I Have Voted” sticker.

What if I lose my ballot or never receive my ballot package in the mail?

If you lose or do not receive your ballot package in the mail, call the CBJ Election Center at (907) 364-7401 or send an email to cbjelections@juneau.org to request a replacement ballot package.

You may also visit a Juneau Vote Center to vote. You must have proper identification to vote in-person at a Juneau Vote Center.

What can I do to make sure that I receive the ballot in the mail at my current mailing address?

You must register to vote or update your registration 30 days before an election. Make sure the residence address on file with the State of Alaska Division of Elections is where you currently reside. Make sure the permanent mailing address on file with the State of Alaska Division of elections is correct. Ballot packages will not be forwarded.

To check your voter registration information, visit the State of Alaska Division of Elections at myvoterinformation.alaska.gov, call (907) 465-3021 or go to the State of Alaska Region I Elections Office at 9109 Mendenhall Mall Road, Suite 3. (Due to Covid-19 concerns, we recommend calling before visiting this facility.)

To update your voter registration information, visit the State of Alaska Division of Elections at voterregistration.alaska.gov, call (907) 465-3021, or go to the State ​of Alaska Region I Elections Office at 9109 Mendenhall Mall Road, Suite 3. (Due to Covid-19 concerns, we recommend calling before visiting this facility.)

What do I do if I move after the 30-day registration deadline?

If you move after the 30-day deadline, call the CBJ Election Center at (907) 364-7401 and you will be given instructions to go to a Juneau Vote Center to vote. You will be required to vote a Questioned Ballot so election officials can capture your new address to update the voter registration database.

I will be traveling during the election. How will I get my ballot?

Ballot packages will be mailed three weeks before Election Day on September 15, 2020. If you want to receive your ballot package at a temporary address rather than your regular mailing address, complete the Application to Vote at a Temporary Address and return it to CBJ Elections according to instructions on the form, preferably by September 6, 2020, and no later than 5:00 p.m. AKDT on September 29, 2020. The Application to Vote at a Temporary Address for the 2020 Election is available at this link.

Or, call the CBJ Election Center at (907) 364-7401 or send an email to cbjelections@juneau.org for more information.

What if I am out of ​the country and I will not be able to receive my ballot in time to return it?

Ballot packages will be mailed three weeks before Election Day on September 15, 2020. If you will be out of the country and you will not be able to receive your mail in time to return your ballot – and you are able to send and receive an email or fax – print and complete the Application to Vote by Fax or Electronic Transmission (e-Ballot) or call the CBJ Election Center at (907) 364-7401 to request an Application to Vote by Fax or Electronic Transmission (e-Ballot). Applications to vote by fax or electronic transmission are due to CBJ Elections no later than 5:00 p.m. AKDT on October 5, 2020. Applications received after this date will not be processed.

Or, call the CBJ Election Center at (907) 364-7401 or send an email to cbjelections@juneau.org for more information.

What happens if someone requests a “replacement” ballot and tries to vote twice?

Ballot envelopes are assigned a unique barcode for each individual voter. Upon return, only one ballot envelope from any voter is accepted – the first one in. Others are rejected. Ballots in an envelope with no barcode are rejected. Voting more than once in the same election, with the intent that your vote be counted more than once, is voter misconduct in the first degree under Alaska Statutes 15.56.040. Voter misconduct in the first degree is a class C felony.

What happens if someone intercepts my mail and votes my ballot?

Every return ballot envelope must be signed by the voter in the presence of a witness, which also signs the return ballot envelope. The voter’s signature is validated based on official signatures already on file with the State of Alaska – e.g. the voter’s registration document, prior election materials, motor vehicle transactions, PFD application, etc. Election officials who adjudicate signatures are trained with techniques used to identify matches and forgeries.

If two trained election officials agree that the signature doesn’t match, the voter is contacted by mail and provided an opportunity to cure the discrepancy. This cure opportunity period extends ten days after Election Day to allow all votes to be counted.

If you mail out ballots, won’t non-citizens be able to vote?

No. Ballots are mailed only to active registered Juneau voters. The question of U.S. citizenship is handled during the voter registration process – only citizens of the U.S. who are residents of Juneau, Alaska, may register to vote in a municipal election. This process occurs long before ballots are mailed.

If I move and forget to update my voter registration, will my ballot be mailed to my old address and will someone else be able to vote it?

Your Vote By Mail ballot is not forwarded to your new address. Each signature on a returned ballot envelope is reviewed by two trained election officials to ensure that your ballot isn’t voted by another person. If you move, forget to update your voter registration, and don’t receive your ballot in the mail, you can call 907-364-7401 to request an application for a ballot package to be mailed to your new address. Alternatively, you may go to a Juneau Vote Center to obtain a ballot package in person. You will be required to provide identification and a signature so we can verify your identity. When a new ballot package is issued to you, your previous ballot package will be voided, which is another way for election officials to tell that if it is returned, it wasn’t voted by you.

What is a Questioned Ballot?

A Questioned Ballot is a voted ballot that has been segregated because the voter’s information is not the same as the information in the Voter Registration Database. The voter places the voted ballot into the security envelope, places both in the voter’s ballot return envelope, signs the Voter Declaration, and places everything in a Questioned Ballot Envelope. Election Officials review and verify information on the envelope to determine whether to accept or provisionally reject the ballot.

When is voting a Questioned Ballot necessary?

Possible reasons a voter would need to vote a Questioned Ballot:

Voter’s name cannot be found in the Voter Registration Database.

Voter does not have identification and is not personally known to an election worker.

Voter has moved and must update their address.

Voter’s name has changed.

Voter is not a U.S. citizen.

A registered observer challenges a voter.

Voter is younger than 18 years of age.

Voter arrived at a Juneau Vote Center after 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Can I vote by fax or email?

Yes. You must apply to vote by fax or electronic transmission. Call the CBJ Election Center at (907) 364-7401 or send an email to cbjelections@juneau.org to request an Application to Vote by Fax or Electronic Transmission. Complete and return the application to CBJ Elections by 5:00 p.m. AKDT on October 5, 2020. Instructions are included with the application. Applications received after this date will not be processed.

How do I mark my ballot?

Mark your ballot using a black or blue pen, completely filling in the oval beside the selection of your choice. Instructions for marking your ballot are shown on the ballot.

What if I make a mistake while marking my ballot?

The ballot contains instructions about how to correct mistakes while marking your ballot. If you make a mistake on your ballot, you can correct it by striking through the oval and the candidate’s name or proposition answer that you do not want to vote for​ and filling in the oval beside the candidate or proposition you do wish to vote for, as shown in the example below.

How do I return my ballot?

You may choose one of three methods to return your ballot.

Take your ballot return envelope with first class postage to a U.S. Post Office. ​ (Please note – the address it is being mailed to is the CBJ Post Office address located in Anchorage and that is not a typo.)

Or, save postage and:

Place your ballot return envelope in a secure drop box.

Take your ballot return envelope to a Juneau Vote Center.

What is a Juneau Vote Center (JVC)?

A Juneau Accessible Vote Center is a location where you can get voter services. Voters may come to a JVC to deliver a completed mailed ballot return envelope, replace a lost or damaged ballot, receive a ballot package if they did not receive one in the mail, vote a questioned ballot, receive voting assistance, and get help with other voter questions.

Where are the Juneau Vote Centers located and what hours will they be open?

City Hall Assembly Chambers, 155 S. Seward Street, Juneau, AK

Mendenhall Valley Library, 3025 Dimond Park Loop, Juneau

Juneau Vote Center hours will be posted online by September 6, 2020.

What services can I receive at a Juneau Vote Center?

At a Juneau Vote Center, you may:

Return your mail ballot.

Vote in-person if you lose, damage, or do not receive your ballot package in the mail.

Receive voting assistance and/or have an election official witness your signature on your return ballot envelope.

Access help for other voter questions.

Register to vote.

Vote a Questioned Ballot.

How do I return the ballot I receive in the mail at a Juneau Vote Center?

You have two options for returning the ballot you receive in the mail to a Juneau Vote Center:

You may drop off your ballot return envelope containing your marked ballot, or

You may take your unmarked ballot package to a Juneau Vote Center and mark your ballot in a voting booth.

What identification do I need to obtain a ballot at a Juneau Vote Center?

Acceptable forms of identification include:

a State of Alaska voter card

a State of Alaska driver’s license

a State of Alaska I.D. card

a military I.D. card

a passport

a hunting or fishing license

other current or valid photo identification

other identification acceptable in State of Alaska elections

What is a secure drop box?

A secure drop box is a secure container where voters may place their return envelope containing their marked ballots.

Where will the secure drop boxes be located?

The regular municipal election secure drop boxes locations will be announced by September 6, 2020.

When will secure drop boxes be open?

Secure drop boxes will be open 24 hours, 7 days-a-week beginning approximately 3 weeks before Election Day.

Secure drop boxes will be closed at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, October 6, 2020. Voters in line at a secure drop box by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day will be allowed to drop off their ballots and the drop boxes will be lock up following the last ballot dropped that was in line at 8:00 p.m.

How will ballots be processed?

• Ballots will be mailed on September 15, 2020 to all Juneau voters at the Permanent Mailing Address listed in the State of Alaska Voter Registration Database, or to a temporary address provided by the voter by September 6, 2020. Voters may submit a request for a ballot to be mailed to a temporary address up until, and no later than 5pm on September 29, however, the earlier date is recommended to facilitate timely arrival of ballots.

• Voters receive a ballot package in the mail, vote the ballot, place voted ballot into a secrecy sleeve, which in turn is placed into a return ballot envelope. Voters then sign the ballot oath on the return ballot envelope in front of a witness and have the witness sign the return ballot envelope. Voters add postage and mail the ballot, to be postmarked by Election Day October 6, 2020. Alternatively, voters may place ballot return envelopes in a CBJ Drop Box (Locations: Douglas Library/Fire Hall, Auke Bay/Statter Harbor Boat Launch parking lot) or return to a CBJ Vote Center (City Hall Assembly Chambers or Mendenhall Valley Library) on or before 8p.m. on Election Day October 6, 2020.

• Ballot return envelopes are mailed directly to the CBJ Elections P.O. Box in Anchorage and will be collected daily by Municipality of Anchorage (MOA) Election Team members with ballot review processing to begin upon receipt. Ballot return envelopes received in Juneau at the Vote Centers or in the ballot drop boxes will be collected and taken to Anchorage by Juneau Election Officials after Election Day. CBJ Election Officials will then work with the Municipality of Anchorage Election Team to review those ballots for proper identification, witnessing and voter signature verification. Voters, whose ballot return envelope has been found deficient for any reason (such as lack of voter signature, lack of witness signature) will be sent a “Cure Letter” from the MOA/CBJ Election team within three days of processing the ballot return envelope.

• Voters who receive cure letters must sign and return the cure letter for further review and processing of the ballot prior to the Canvass Board certification of the election on October 20, 2020. MOA Election staff will receive and process cure letters and the associated ballots at the direction of the CBJ Election Official.

• The CBJ Election Official will oversee all ballot review, processing and tabulation.

• In order to allow for the accurate, secure processing of ballots as outlined above, “Unofficial Results” will first be available on October 9, 2020 and not on Election Night.

• Ballots received in the mail after Election Day, but postmarked on or before Election Day, October 6, and before the Canvass Board meeting to certify the election on October 20, 2020, will be sorted, reviewed, verified or sent cure letters, and ultimately processed, tabulated and the results will be added to become final results for certification. The Canvas Board will meet in Juneau on October 20, 2020.

Election Center Virtual Tour – Take a tour of the Vote by Mail / Vote at Home process and the Anchorage Municipal Election Center! (This video shows the facility and processes that the Municipality of Anchorage is sharing with CBJ for the 2020 Elections through an intergovernmental agreement – some details and dates are different for the October 6 CBJ election, such as preliminary results will not be available until October 9, and the Canvass Board will meet to certify the election on October 20).

What is the last day you will accept ballot return envelopes?

The last day for CBJ Elections to accept ballot return envelopes postmarked on or before Election Day is Tuesday, October 20, 2020, before the Canvass Review Board certifies the election.

When will election results be available?

Unlike poll-based elections, preliminary “unofficial” results will not be available on Election Day. All ballot return envelopes will be processed at the Anchorage Election Center by trained election officials according to a contractual agreement between the City and Borough of Juneau and the Municipality of Anchorage, which has conducted several successful by mail elections. A preliminary tally of all ballot return envelopes received through the mail, at Juneau Vote Centers and in the secure drop boxes will be available on Friday, October 9, 2020 as “unofficial results.” Review work will continue on mailed ballots and a second “unofficial result” will be available on October 16, 2020. The Canvass Board will meet on Tuesday, October 20, 2020 to certify the “official results” and the election.

For all Municipal Voting Information, call 907-364-7401 or e-mail us at cbjelections@juneau.org