Over 41,000 Anchorage residents had cast a ballot in the runoff for mayor of Anchorage. by the close of business on Monday, May 3, according to the Anchorage Election Office.
That’s over one-third of the ballots election activists say they expect to be cast in the contest between candidates Dave Bronson and Forrest Dunbar.
And it’s more than half of the 75,441 ballots cast in the April 6 election, when there were 15 candidates to choose from. Today, voters have just eight days to vote for either Bronson or Dunbar.
Randy Ruedrich, who has observed Anchorage elections for decades, said he expects as many as 100,000 votes to be cast by the close of the runoff election at 8 pm on May 11.
Volunteer canvassers for Bronson have been busy. They have reached more than 13,000 households over the past two weeks, while paid canvassers from out of state are now in Anchorage working on behalf of Dunbar and have reached an unknown number of doors in an attempt to catch up. The paid canvassers are also ballot harvesters, similar to how Al Gross’ senatorial campaign did ballot harvesting in the November, 2020 election. Ballot harvesting is when people ask you to give them your ballot so they can take it to the drop box for you.
Secure drop boxes for ballots are located at:
- Anchorage School District Education Center – 5530 East Northern Lights Boulevard: Location Picture
- Bartlett High School – 1101 Golden Bear Drive: Location Picture
- Begich Middle School – 7440 Creekside Center Drive: Location Picture
- City Hall – 632 West 6th Avenue, Parking Lot
- Clark Middle School – 150 Bragaw Street: Location Picture
- Dimond High School – 2909 West 88th Avenue: Location Picture
- Eagle River Town Center – 12001 Business Boulevard (in Eagle River): Location Picture
- Election Center – 619 East Ship Creek Avenue: Location Picture
- Fairview Community Recreation Center – 1121 East 10th Avenue: Location Picture
- Girdwood Community Center – 250 Egloff Drive (in Girdwood): Location Picture
- Loussac Library – 3600 Denali Street: Location Picture
- O’Malley’s on the Green – 3651 O’Malley Road: Location Picture
- New! Planning and Development Center (MOA Permit Center) – 4700 Elmore Road: Location Picture
- Service High School – 5577 Abbott Road: Location Picture
- South Anchorage High School – 13400 Elmore Road: Location Picture
- Spenard Community Recreation Center – 2020 West 48th Avenue: Location Picture
- UAA Alaska Airlines Center – 3550 Providence Drive: Location Picture
- West Anchorage High School – 1700 Hillcrest Drive: Location Picture
For those needing to vote in person for any reason, you can vote at If you need assistance voting, or if you need to replace a lost or damaged ballot, or if you didn’t receive a ballot, please protect our community in the public health crisis and call 243-VOTE (8683).
If the April 6 election is any indication, lines could be long at the three in-person voting centers next Tuesday.
Locations:
| City Hall 632 West 6th Avenue, Room #155 Weekdays, May 5 – 10, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday, May 8, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sunday, May 9, noon – 5 p.m.Election Day, May 11, 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. Eagle River Town Center 12001 Business Boulevard, Community Room #170 (same building as the library) Extra Hours: May 4 – 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Weekdays, May 5 – 10, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday, May 8, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sunday, May 9, noon – 5 p.m. Election Day, May 11, 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. Only Chugiak-Eagle River ballots will be available at this location. Loussac Library3600 Denali Street, First Floor, Assembly Chambers Extra Hours: May 4 – 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Weekdays, May 5 – 10, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday, May 8, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sunday, May 9, noon – 5 p.m. Election Day, May 11, 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. |
At Anchorage Vote Centers services: Voters can vote in person, return a mailed ballot, replace a lost or damaged ballot, receive a ballot package if they didn’t receive one in the mail, receive voting assistance, or get help with other voter questions. Voters who are voting in-person or requesting a replacement ballot will be required to show identification.
For voters who wish to vote at home and didn’t received a mailed ballot, please call the Voter Hotline at (907) 243-VOTE (8683) for a replacement ballot. Replacement ballot requests must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 4, 2021, to allow sufficient time for mailing.
Voted ballots being returned by U.S. Postal Service mail must be postmarked no later than Election Day, May 11, 2021, and received by noon May 21, 2021. If mailing during the last 48 hours of the election, ask a postal official to hand-cancel/ hand-stamp the envelope with a postmark.
If you would like to vote by email, you may request that a ballot be sent to you via email by completing the Application to Vote by Email, contact [email protected] or (907) 243-VOTE (8683). All applications to vote by email must be received by the Municipal Clerk’s Office by 5 pm on May 4. Applications to vote by email received after this date will be processed as time allows, through May 10 at 5 pm.
Keep in mind that by using electronic transmission to return your voted ballot, you are waiving a portion of your right to a secret ballot and you are voluntarily disclosing personal identifying information. The method is not secure, as data can be compromised in transit.
