By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Advanced in-person voting in the Oct. 5 city election was off to a solid, if slow, start Monday, with about a dozen voters casting ballots in the first four hours.
“It picked up in the afternoon,” City Clerk Sara Peterson said.
Polling hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, through Monday, Oct. 4, at Harrigan Centennial Hall.
It is one of five voting methods available to voters in this election, Peterson said.
“People can choose based on their comfort level,” she said, emphasizing the range of options that voters have.
Election worker Alixandra Snelling goes over the instructions for casting an early ballot this morning at Harrigan Centennial Hall. Early voting began Monday for the October municipal election. On the ballot are two Assembly seats, two School Board seats and an advisory question on whether or not to sell the city-owned former Community Hospital property. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
In the election Rachel Moreno, Dave Miller and incumbent Kevin Mosher, are vying for the two open Assembly seats, and Amy Morrison and Todd Gebler are unopposed for two open School Board seats.
All terms are for three years.
The ballot also has an advisory question, seeking voter opinion on whether the city should sell the old Sitka Community Hospital properties. SEARHC has submitted an offer to purchase the property for the appraised price of $8.25 million, and meeting all conditions of the city’s request for proposals on purchase or lease of the property. The Assembly has passed an ordinance on first reading accepting the offer, but will vote on final approval on Oct. 12, after the results of the non-binding advisory question are known.
Besides advanced voting in person, other voting options are:
– absentee voting by mail, with applications submitted to the city clerk in person or by mail, by September 28. Marked ballots must be postmarked or turned in by 5 p.m. Oct. 5 or earlier.
– voting by fax. Voters submit an application, and submit their ballot by fax no later than 8 p.m. election day.
– voting by personal representative. Those unable to vote in person due to age, serious illness, or disability, may have a personal representative pick up a ballot from the city clerk and return it prior to election day.
– in person on election day. Polling hours will be 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Both of Sitka’s two election precincts vote at Harrigan Centennial Hall.
Last year’s city election was held after the start of the pandemic, which Peterson said presented a number of challenges, such as maintaining social distancing at the voting place.
She said many - some 1,400 - chose the “advanced voting in-person” option. And just over 300 voted by mail. Out of the 3,300 ballots cast in the election last year, about 1,600 were cast at the polls on election day.
Peterson said she has received about 50 requests so far for ballots by mail for this election.
Peterson was present at Centennial Hall for the start of “advanced voting in person” on Monday, watching as the 12 Sitkans cast ballots in the first four hours. She said by the end of the day, some 50 had voted.
Face masks and distancing requirements are in place inside the building. Hand sanitizer is offered, and the portable voting booths are spaced six feet apart.
Voting proceeded in a similarly slow pace again today. One voter who spoke to the Sentinel said she planned to be gone on election day, but added that she probably would have voted in advance anyway.
Peterson also called attention to the candidate profiles now posted on the city webpage. As it has done for more than 50 years, the Sentinel will publish an election special edition prior to the election, with information about the candidates and issues that will be on the ballot.
The Chamber of Commerce is hosting an Assembly candidate forum at the noon meeting on Wednesday, via Zoom. The unopposed School Board candidates are invited to answer questions at noon on Sept. 29, also on Zoom.
Chamber executive director Rachel Roy said election officials will be invited to explain voting options. Roy said she hopes the Sept. 29 meeting will include questions and answers about the advisory ballot question.
The ballot question asks: Should the city and borough of Sitka sell the two buildings and surrounding four lots at 209 Moller Drive, 2020 Brady Street, 204 Brady Street and 302 Gavan Street, formerly the site of Sitka Community Hospital, as contemplated by the ordinance authorizing the sale previously passed on first reading by the Assembly? Yes or No.
Second reading on the sale ordinance is scheduled for Oct. 12.
The Native-owned nonprofit healthcare consortium is proposing investing more than $30 million to upgrade the hospital building, continuing such services as long-term care and rehabilitation, and building housing for employees and specialists.
The city webpage includes a sample ballot and links to the sales ordinance passed by the Assembly on introduction.
