Anchorage voters have until May 29 to ‘cure’ their mayoral runoff ballots

Anchorage Election administrator William Northrop astatine nan Anchorage Election Center connected May 28, 2024. (Wesley Early/Alaska Public Media)

Anchorage voters formed much than 80,000 ballots successful this year’s mayoral runoff election, a reasonably normal turnout. However, not each of them person been counted. 

City elections administrator William Northrop said location are respective reasons why a ballot isn’t counted, including if much than 1 of a household’s mail-in ballots are put successful nan return envelope, aliases if nary ballot is successful nan envelope. 

But he said nan biggest logic is simply a deficiency of signature verification. 

“Our signature verification squad looks astatine that signature and compares it to nan 5 signatures that are connected record that we received from nan state, and they look for definite characteristics and to spot if they match,” Northrop said. “And if your signature doesn’t match, past you’re gonna get a cure letter.”

Northrop said nan metropolis identified astir 2,000 ballots pinch signature issues, though his squad has been capable to get ahold of galore of those voters to fix, aliases “cure,” them. He said nan full number of ballots that request to beryllium cured is astir 1,000 now, which is astir mean for nan city’s mail-in elections. 

There aren’t capable of those ballots to effect Suzanne LaFrance’s predetermination triumph complete incumbent Mayor Dave Bronson, but Northrop said group should still cure their ballots. 

“Even though it won’t make a quality successful this election, it will make a quality successful early elections,” Northrop said. “We want to make judge that your signatures are up to day because signatures do alteration complete time.”

Voters who received a cure missive tin hole their ballots astatine nan predetermination center, by mail, complete email, aliases using a smartphone. 

The deadline for voters to cure ballots is Wednesday, May 29 astatine 4 p.m.