Runoff election: Over 41,000 ballots have been cast in runoff for mayor of Anchorage

By
Suzanne Downing
-
23

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:

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.

23 COMMENTS

  2. There will be an additional 2 more votes for Bronson cast tomorrow, we need him to be elected and bring Anchorage back from the abyss created by Democrats.

  3. You have to get rid of ballot harvesting and mail in ballots or you’ll never have a fair election again. You MAY be able to get over the steal, but there will ALWAYS be a steal.

  4. Is the election going to stopped in the middle of the night again? Are the votes going to miraculously change favoring the losing candidate before the counting begins again?
    …..
    Enquiring minds want to know…

  5. Nobody in our household will vote for a burn-it-all-down, every man for himself Trump apologist. Six votes for Dunbar and for common sense, experienced governance.

  7. Right Arctic Blue and there are only 2 in your household,
    must be critical race theory math.

  9. Important safety tip here people.
    .
    When filling in your ballot, before you even open the envelope, remove all pens from the area. Then use a sticky note, or some other cover to block the name and vote oval of the candidate you do not want to vote for.
    .
    Only then will it be safe to bring a pen into the area. Remove the pen from the area before you lift off the sticky note.
    .
    This is too important of an election to let an accidentally dropped pen, or a slip of the wrist to make even the tiniest of marks on the wrong line of the ballot. Do not give them a reason to reject your ballot.
    .

  10. I agree entirely with Censored and Lawrence. Ballot harvesting is an underhanded and pernicious practice. It will destroy any prospect of a fair and transparent election. It needs to be made illegal ASAP!

  11. Dave or his people have been through my neighborhood more than once. He appears at club meetings and social functions. While the Dem team calls my cell / home phone from out of state Dem paid for tele-centers. Please vote to tell present Anchorage Govt that we are tired of their ways.

  12. Arctic blue, Dunbar and common sense rarely if ever belong in the same sentence together. Good job wasting your votes, see you on the bread line if that liberal stooge gets elected.

    P.S. none of us will ever, ever apologize for supporting the first great president of the 21st century.

  13. From an Election worker:

    Many voters are putting stamps on their ballot envelope before they put the envelope in the Municipal secure ballot drop box. Ballots from the drop boxes go directly to the Election Center, not through the U.S. Postal System.

    Stamps are not necessary on drop box envelopes.

  14. Ballot harvesting, vote collection, ‘helping’ people to make their votes count. I remember doing this as a kid for the democrat party. In fact we even filled out the ballots for them, especially people who had no idea of the issues or the candidates running. If a person does not have the ambition to know the issues, know the candidates, and especially have the motivation to get out and vote then they should not vote at all. Voting is a responsibility to be taken seriously, to be informed, motivated and proud. Only then will our government truly represent the citizens and not the big dollar special interests who buy the elections exclusively for themselves.

  15. Another fraudulent election attempt looming in Anchorage. Paid fools to carry ballots for those who normally do not vote, no longer live here, or are dead. That’s how Democrats try to win. Republicans are finally learning how to fight back and organize in much larger groups. I predict Dunbar goes down in a big, last swish.

  16. Arctic Blue writes that Dunbar has “common sense”, Bronson, Dunbar’s opponent has stated that Dunbar, “hasn’t the sense that God gave an anvil”, (great out of the blue observation). I think these two statements sum up the choice for Anchorage voters. Is Bronson correct in his assessment of Dunbar and the rest of the clownish leftist on the Anchorage Assembly or has Dunbar and his entourage courageously guided Anchorage these last few years? In the words of Billy Boy Clinton… ” who you gonna believe? Me, or your lying eyes!”
    Anchorage, do the math. Rid yourself of this scourge, Vote Bronson!

  17. Dominion Voting machines, mail-in ballots & ballot harvesting all point to an uphill climb for Bronson!

  18. If the polls show Dunbar lacking in any significant manner and ends up winning, you can rest assured that ballot shenanigans occurred and, since this seems to be the path we’re heading down, we’ll never again have a true, fair and secure election.

  19. Dunbar … the understudy of Berkowitz; Dunbar cannot even win locally with local ALASKANS. They had to pay someone to come and help his campaign. Another failed attempt at politics for this guy. Once a liar, always a liar.

  20. Vote Dunbar = Mask wearing forever, and burning buildings downtown anchorage/Portland 2.0

    Vote Bronson = FREEDOM

  22. Once again we see Anchorage violate Alaska election laws with impunity. While both the Lt. Gov. and AG continue to reassure us that there is no systemic government election fraud going on right before our eyes. We’ve gone from illegally voting by mail, to illegally voting by e-mail.

    Since voting is no longer “free or fair” in Alaska, it is time to seek alternatives.

Comments are closed.