It’s municipal election day in Sitka. Voters have until 8 p.m. tonight to cast their ballots in the mayoral, assembly and school board races.
As of 5:30 p.m. 860 Sitkans had voted on election day. Municipal Clerk Sara Peterson has been at Harrigan Centennial Hall since before polls opened at 7 a.m. In an interview with KCAW she said she’s grateful that election day was somewhat sunny this year, a rare event for the first Tuesday in October.
“I was a little worried last night. I was laying in bed and I heard the the rain and the wind and thought, ‘Oh no, please don’t let there be a storm and a power outage on election day,” Peterson recalled. “But the sun’s out. It’s been great, and people have been trickling in all day. Yeah, it’s been a steady pace since we opened at 7.”
It’s a three-way race for the mayor’s chair–assembly members Thor Christianson and Kevin Mosher are in the running alongside political newcomer Lisa Lane. Assembly member JJ Carlson, Sherri Blankenship and Darrell Windsor are the three candidates on the ballot vying for two open assembly seats. Mary Ann Hall is running as the only official write-in candidate. For school board, it’s a three-way race for three open seats between board members Phil Burdick, Matt Potter and Kat Richards.
This year’s ballot will also include one proposition, which asks voters whether to update the city’s charter to adjust the triggers for a special election. If approved, future citizen initiatives would go before voters at the next regular election unless the assembly decides to hold a special election.
Peterson said 801 Sitkans voted early in this year’s municipal election. The early in-person votes will be counted along with today’s ballots from Precincts 1 and 2.
Tune in tonight as Raven News brings you live coverage from Harrigan Centennial Hall when polls close at 8 p.m.
