Turnout so far for this year’s municipal election is the highest since 2020 and the second-highest since 2010, according to updated results released Thursday that show no change to the outcome of candidate races and ballot measures.
A total of 10,780 ballots, representing a turnout of 38.35%, were tallied as of Thursday, according to the City and Borough of Juneau municipal clerk’s office. Additional ballots for the by-mail election that were posted marked by Oct. 1 and received by next Monday will be included in the certified totals scheduled to be released Tuesday, Oct. 15, although the clerk has up to three additional days to compile results if necessary.
The updated count was released one day ahead of the schedule announced before the election by the clerk’s office.
“The CBJ Election Staff has been busy this week and was able to process all ballots that have been received and approved through Thursday, October 10, one day earlier than anticipated,” a notice published Thursday by the clerk’s office states.
The turnout rate so far exceeds the certified rates of 33.98% last year, 32.87% in 2022 and 30.77% in 2021, according to a historical summary by the clerk’s office. The last year higher than the current rate was 42.73% in 2020, and rates between 2011 and 2019 ranged between 19.06% in 2013 to 35.49% in 2018.
Turnout rates have seen a general decline since 1990, with rates between 1990 and 1995 varying between 62.72% in 1993 to 47.27% in 1995. However, rates vary widely during individual years, such as the 28.21% turnout in 2001 (a few weeks after the 9/11 attacks) being more than 20% lower than the 49.05% turnout in 2000 (a month before the highly contentious presidential election that year).
There are about 120 ballots that need fixes, or “cures,” to issues such as envelopes not being signed or a personal identifier missing, said Municipal Clerk Beth McEwen. Residents submitting such ballots have been notified by mail and have until Monday to return them to the clerk’s office.
The results as of Thursday show incumbent Mayor Beth Weldon leader challenger Angela Rodell by a vote count of 6,160-4,238, Neil Steininger leading Connor Ulmer for the Juneau Assembly District 1 seat 5,786-3,243, and Maureen Hall leading four other Assembly District 2 candidates with 3,526 votes (with Nathaniel “Nano” second with 3,007 votes).
In the race for three open Juneau Board of Education seats, incumbents Elizabeth Siddon (5,582 votes), Will Muldoon (5,190) and Amber Frommherz (4,353) are well ahead of three challenges, with Jenny Thomas the closest with 3,127 votes. Recall petitions for school board president Deedie Sorensen and vice president Emil Mackey are failing by respective votes of 3,525-6,609 and 3,711-6,431.
The Ship-Free Saturday ballot proposition is still headed for a decisive defeat with a vote of 4,151-6,520, while two bond measures continue to show strong support with a $12.7 million bond for public safety equipment ahead 6,157-4,409 and a $10 million bond for wastewater treatment plant upgrades ahead 6,937-3,533.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
