A. 
Beginning on January 1st of each election year, any qualified voter may apply for an absentee by-mail ballot with the municipal clerk. A complete application must be received by the municipal clerk not less than seven days before an election. The application shall include the address where the absentee ballot shall be mailed, the applicant’s full local residence address, a voter identifier (such as a voter identification number, last four digits of social security number, or date of birth), and the applicant’s signature.
B. 
After receipt of an application, the municipal clerk or designee shall verify the applicant is a qualified voter, and once verified, shall send the absentee by-mail ballot, instructions, and return envelope to the applicant by at least first-class mail. The ballot and materials shall be sent as soon as they are ready for distribution. The return envelope sent with the materials shall be addressed to the municipal clerk. The absentee by-mail voter is responsible for postage.
C. 
Upon receipt of an absentee by-mail ballot, the voter shall proceed to mark the ballot in secret, place the ballot in the secrecy sleeve, place the secrecy sleeve in the return envelope, and sign the voter certification on the back of the return envelope in the presence of an official who shall sign as attesting official and shall date their signature. Officials recognized to attest the legitimacy of signatures listed in this subsection are: a notary public, a commissioned officer of the armed forces including the National Guard, state court judge or magistrate, United States postal official, or other person qualified to administer oaths. If none of the officials listed in this subsection are reasonably accessible, an absentee voter shall have the ballot witnessed by a person over the age of 18 years.
D. 
The voted absentee by-mail ballot must be delivered to the municipal clerk or an election official before polls close on election day or postmarked on or before midnight of election day and received by the municipal clerk no later than the Friday following the election. Ballot envelopes received after that time shall not be opened but shall be marked “invalid” with the date of receipt noted thereon, and shall be preserved with other ballots of the election.
E. 
The municipal clerk shall maintain a record of the name of each voter to whom an absentee by-mail ballot is sent. The record must list the date on which the ballot is mailed and the date on which the ballot is received by the municipal clerk. Prior to the election, the municipal clerk shall mark the precinct registers of those voters who voted by mail or give the election board in each precinct a list of voters from the precinct who have voted by mail. If a voter who was issued an absentee by-mail ballot by mail returns to the voter’s precinct on election day, the voter may not vote a regular ballot at the polling place unless the voter first surrenders to the election board the absentee ballot, ballot envelope, and return envelope issued to the voter. If the voter does not have the absentee by-mail ballot to surrender, the voter may vote a questioned ballot. Surrendered absentee by-mail ballots, ballot envelopes and return envelopes collected by the election board shall be returned to the municipal clerk.
(S.G.C. 2.40.195; Ord. 23-05 § 4, 2023)
A. 
Beginning on January 1st of each election year, any qualified voter may apply for an absentee ballot to be sent by fax or electronic transmission by the municipal clerk. A complete application must be received by the municipal clerk by 5:00 p.m. (Alaska Standard Time) on election day. On receipt of a complete application, the municipal clerk or designee shall verify the applicant is a qualified voter. Absentee ballots will be faxed or electronically transmitted to the location designated in the application.
B. 
A ballot faxed or electronically transmitted shall contain a copy of the ballot to be used at the election in a form suitable for transmission. A photocopy of the computerized ballot card to be used by persons voting in person at the polling places is acceptable.
C. 
To be counted in the election, the voted faxed or electronically transmitted ballot must be received by the municipal clerk no later than the closing of polls on election day. An absentee ballot that is completed and returned by the voter by fax or electronic transmission must contain the following statement: “I understand that by using fax or electronic transmission to return my marked ballot, I am voluntarily waiving a portion of my right to a secret ballot to the extent necessary to process my ballot, but expect that my vote will be held as confidential as possible.”
D. 
The municipal clerk shall maintain a record of the name of each voter to whom an absentee by-fax or electronic transmission ballot is sent. The record must list the date and time on which the ballot is faxed or electronically transmitted and the date and time on which the ballot is received by the municipal clerk. Prior to the election, the municipal clerk shall mark the precinct registers of those voters who voted by fax or electronic transmission or give the election board in each precinct a list of voters from the precinct who have voted by mail. If the voter who voted a by-fax or electronic transmission ballot returns to the voter’s precinct on election day, the voter may not vote a regular ballot but may vote a questioned ballot.
(S.G.C. 2.40.200; Ord. 23-05 § 4, 2023)
A. 
A qualified voter who is unable to go to a polling place due to age, illness, or disability may vote a personal representative ballot. The voter may, through a representative, request a personal representative ballot from the municipal clerk or an election official, on or after 15 days before an election up to and including the date of the election.
B. 
If the request for a personal representative ballot is made through a representative, the representative shall sign a personal representative register provided by an election official. The register must include the following information:
1. 
The representative’s name;
2. 
The representative’s residence and mailing address;
3. 
The representative’s last four digits of social security number, voter identification number, or date of birth;
4. 
The name of the voter on whose behalf the representative is requesting a ballot and voting materials;
5. 
An oath that the representative:
a. 
Is receiving a ballot and voting materials on behalf of the voter;
b. 
Will not vote the ballot for the voter;
c. 
Will not coerce the voter;
d. 
Will not divulge the vote cast by the voter; and
e. 
Has been notified that unlawful interference with voting is punishable under AS 15.56.030; and
6. 
The representative’s signature.
C. 
The municipal clerk or election precinct voting official shall keep a record of the name and signature of each representative requesting a personal representative ballot and the name of the person on whose behalf the ballot is requested. The municipal clerk or election precinct voting official shall record the date and time the personal representative ballot is provided and the date and time the ballot is returned.
D. 
The representative shall deliver the personal representative ballot and other voting materials to the voter as soon as practicable. The voter shall mark the ballot in secret, place the ballot in the secrecy sleeve, and place the secrecy sleeve in the personal representative envelope provided. The voter shall provide the information on the envelope that would be required for absentee voting if the voter voted in person. The voter shall sign the voter’s certificate in the presence of the representative. The representative shall sign as attesting official and date the voter’s signature.
E. 
The representative shall deliver the ballot and voter certificate to an election official not later than 8:00 p.m. (Alaska Standard Time) on election day.
F. 
If a voter’s disability precludes the voter from performing any of the requirements of subsection D of this section, the representative may perform those requirements, except making the voting decision, on the voter’s behalf.
G. 
A candidate for office, the voter’s employer, an agent of the voter’s employer, or an officer or agent of the voter’s union may not act as a representative for the voter.
H. 
Prior to the election, the municipal clerk shall mark the precinct registers of those voters who voted by personal representative or give the election board in each precinct a list of voters from the precinct who have voted by personal representative.
(S.G.C. 2.40.210; Ord. 23-05 § 4, 2023)
A. 
A qualified voter may apply in person for an absentee ballot at the municipal clerk’s office in City Hall on or after the day the ballots are available up to 15 days before election day.
B. 
On receipt of a complete application, the municipal clerk or designee shall verify the applicant is a qualified voter. Once verified, the municipal clerk or designee shall issue the ballot to the voter.
C. 
The voter shall proceed to mark the ballot in secret, to place the ballot in a secrecy sleeve, and place the secrecy sleeve in the larger envelope in the presence of the municipal clerk or designee who shall sign as attesting official and date their signature. The municipal clerk or designee shall then accept the ballot.
D. 
The municipal clerk shall maintain a record of the name of each voter who casts an absentee in-person ballot and the date the ballot was cast. Prior to the election, the municipal clerk shall mark the precinct registers of those voters who voted an absentee in-person ballot or give the election board in each precinct a list of voters from the precinct who have voted absentee in person. If the voter who voted an absentee in-person ballot returns to the voter’s precinct on election day, the voter may not vote a regular ballot but may vote a questioned ballot.
(S.G.C. 2.40.220; Ord. 23-05 § 4, 2023)
A. 
Early voting shall be made available and shall not begin prior to 15 days before a regular or special election in a location and at times determined by the municipal clerk.
B. 
The early voter shall appear before an election official and provide their name and exhibit one form of identification, including but not limited to an official voter registration card, driver’s license, passport, hunting or fishing license. An election official may waive the identification requirement if the election official knows the identity of the voter. A voter who cannot exhibit a satisfactory form of identification shall be allowed to vote a questioned ballot.
C. 
The election official shall verify that the voter’s name and residence address appears on the official precinct register and shall require the voter to sign the precinct register. If the voter’s name does not appear on the official precinct register, the voter shall be allowed to vote a questioned ballot.
D. 
When the voter has qualified to vote, the election official shall give the voter an official ballot. The voter shall proceed to mark the ballot in secret, place the voted ballot in the secrecy sleeve, and deposit the ballot in the ballot box in the presence of an election official.
E. 
The tabulation of early voting ballots may not begin before 8:00 p.m. (Alaska Standard Time) on election day.
F. 
Prior to the election, the municipal clerk shall mark the precinct registers of those voters who voted early or give the election board in each precinct a list of voters from the precinct who have voted early. If the voter who voted an early ballot returns to the voter’s precinct on election day, the voter may not vote a regular ballot but may vote a questioned ballot.
(S.G.C. 2.40.230; Ord. 23-05 § 4, 2023)