Voting Steady Today for Municipal Election

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Category: News

Created on Tuesday, 01 October 2024 15:32

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By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    Election workers reported a “steady” turnout of voters at the polling places in Harrigan Centennial Hall today for Sitka’s annual municipal election.
On the ballot are two candidates for mayor, four for two seats on the Assembly, and only one for School Board, which has two seats to be filled.
There are also two propositions on the ballot for housekeeping-type amendments to the city charter.

Steven Eisenbeisz affixes his “I voted today” sticker after casting a ballot at Harrigan Centennial Hall today. A slow but steady stream of voters have dropped in at Sitka’s two precincts. More than 800 cast early votes. Polls are open to 8 p.m. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)

Polls at Harrigan Centennial Hall opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m. today.
“It’s not too late to still come in and vote,” Alix Snelling, chairman of Precinct 1, said just after noon today. She reported 172 ballots were cast in the first five hours, and another election official pointed out that the traditionally busier hours were still ahead.
At Precinct 2 down the hall, the voting started slowly this morning and was picking up in momentum with 159 voters casting ballots by noon.
Early voting has been available since September 16, and 631 voters have cast ballots in the weeks leading up to the election, the clerk’s office said.
Ballots will be counted at Centennial Hall after the polls close tonight, including those cast in early in-person voting, those cast today. The unofficial results will be posted on a giant screen in the Centennial Hall auditorium, and the clerk’s office said results are expected after 8:45 p.m.
The city clerk’s office will count other absentee and questioned ballots 2 p.m. Friday at Centennial Hall. The Assembly certifies results at the first regular meeting after an election, which this year will be Tuesday, October 8. Newly elected city officials are sworn in and seated at the Assembly table after the results are certified.
In the race for mayor, Steven Eisenbeisz is running for his third term, against Leah Mason. The candidates for the two open three-year Assembly seats are Scott Saline, Kevin Mosher, Austin Cranford and Robert Hattle. Mosher and Saline are incumbents.
    Amanda Williams is the only person running for School Board, and after the election the board will make an appointment to fill the vacant seat until the next election.
All of the positions to be filled are for three-year terms except for the mayor’s, which has a two-year term.
The two charter amendment issues on the ballot are changes that bring the documents up to date.
Proposition No. 1 removes the reference to Sitka Community Hospital in the charter because the hospital closed on August 1, 2019.
Proposition No. 2 amends the procedure for recall of elected municipal officials to meet the requirement that municipal recall procedures “may not be contrary” to those in state statutes on recall of state officials.
The clerk’s office set up an “election central” in the auditorium at Centennial Hall, where the public can watch the ballot counting process and see the results as they are posted. Results from early voting will also be tabulated and displayed, the clerk’s office said.