Voter turnout in Juneau drops from 49 to 35 percent since 2000 election
Voter turnout was down in Tuesday's city election compared to 2000 when the races for mayor and Assembly were tighter, according to unofficial vote tallies. Nearly 35 percent of registered voters cast ballots Tuesday, compared to 49 percent in 2000.
That percentage is expected to rise, as more than 900 questioned and absentee mail ballots must still be counted, Deputy City Clerk Beth McEwen said. The city will estimate the number of ballots by Friday and officially certify the count on Tuesday, Oct. 14. Between Friday and Tuesday, some "straggler" votes come in, McEwen said. City code requires that the ballots be certified the Tuesday after election day, she said.
Although more residents voted in 2000, more were registered to vote this year, according to city election records. The number of registered voters - as of 30 days prior to Tuesday's election - was 24,377 compared to 24,054 in 2000. Nearly 31,000 people live in Juneau and 22,759 are of voting age, according to 2002 state estimates.
The number of registered voters is inflated because state law allows residents to retain their voter registration if they move out of state but intend to return, said Tom Godkin, election administrative assistant at the state Division of Elections. Some Coast Guard members who leave for active duty may cause the numbers to inflate, Godkin said.
Every year state officials determine who has been voting and purge the names of residents who have not voted in four years. About 10,000 to 15,000 names are purged statewide annually, Godkin said.
The 2000 mayoral election between Sally Smith and Jamie Parsons was closer than this year's race - perhaps a reflection of more votes cast. In 2000, 220 votes separated Smith and Parsons, compared to the unofficial 615 votes separating Mayor-elect Bruce Botelho and Dick Knapp. The contested Assembly race in 2000 was also closer; 777 votes separated winner Marc Wheeler from PeggyAnn McConnochie. In Tuesday's contested District 2 Assembly race, an unofficial 889 votes separated the winner, Dan Peterson, from incumbent Dale Anderson, according to unofficial race results.
Although Botelho defeated Knapp, each won eight of the 16 precincts. Botelho took the traditionally liberal precincts and Knapp grabbed the conservative strongholds in the Mendenhall Valley. Botelho took a bigger command of the more liberal precincts than Knapp did of conservative areas. Botelho won the Douglas precinct 365-237, although both candidates reside there.
Peterson, a 21-year-old college student, commanded the Assembly race by taking nine of the 16 precincts. Peterson dominated the downtown precincts and lost by a small margin in the Valley. Peterson advocated keeping sales tax exemptions for senior citizens and dominated the downtown senior center precinct with a vote of 363-151. Peterson's win at that precinct was the largest - 212 votes - among all voting locations, according to unofficial tallies.
• Tara Sidor can be reached at tara.sidor@juneauempire.com.