Anchorage elections underway as ballots begin arriving in mailboxes

March 17, 2026 – Ballots begin arriving in mailboxes across Anchorage this week, kicking off the city’s annual municipal election season. Voters have until April 7 to return their ballots by mail or deposit them in one of the municipality’s drop boxes.

Anchorage conducts its local elections entirely by mail and drop box, a system originally promoted as a way to boost voter participation. Turnout data from recent years suggests the change has not dramatically increased engagement. Participation has generally hovered between 25% and 35% of registered voters, with some variation depending on the ballot.

• 2025 (non-mayoral): ~23% turnout

• 2024 (mayoral election): ~30% turnout

• 2023: just under 28%

Even in years with higher-profile races, turnout remains tepid, challenging the theory that vote-by-mail boosts civic participation.

Six Assembly seats

This year’s ballot features races across all six Anchorage Assembly districts, each electing one member to a three-year term:

• District 1 (North Anchorage – Seat B): Nick Danger, Sydney Scout, Justin Milette, Max Powers

• District 2 (Chugiak/Eagle River/JBER – Seat C): Donald Handeland, Kyle Walker

• District 3 (West Anchorage – Seat E): Brian Flynn, Anna Brawley

• District 4 (Midtown – Seat G): Dave Donley, Kim Winston, Janice Park

• District 5 (East Anchorage – Seat I): George Martinez, Cody Anderson

• District 6 (South Anchorage/Girdwood – Seat K): Janelle Anausuk Sharp, Bruce Vergason, Zac Johnson

School board races and local service seats

Two at-large Anchorage School Board seats are also on the ballot:

• Seat C: Alexander Rosales, Rachel Blakeslee

• Seat D: Sharon Gibbons, Dustin Darden, Paul McDonogh

Various service area board seats—including road, fire, and local service districts—are also up for election, though many of these races are uncontested.

More than a dozen propositions, major spending

Perhaps the most consequential portion of this year’s ballot is a long list of bond measures and tax proposals that together exceed $155 million in potential spending and a major lift for property owners.

Key measures include:

• Proposition 1: $79 million for Anchorage School District capital improvements, including repairs to a school scheduled for closure

• Proposition 2: Roads and drainage bonds

• Proposition 3: Parks and recreation upgrades

• Proposition 4: Police department facility improvements

• Proposition 5–8: Additional bonds for community facilities, public safety, fire service, transit, and park access

In addition to the bonds, voters will decide on:

• Proposition 9: A $12 million one-year property tax levy to fund Anchorage School District operations

• Proposition 10: A technical charter amendment

• Propositions 11–12: Local service area tax and infrastructure measures

If all bond measures pass, property owners could see a cumulative increase in taxes layered on top of prior years’ bond approvals.

If all the bonds pass in the Anchorage election, how much will you end up paying the city?

The election also comes amid controversy surrounding the Anchorage School District’s involvement in promoting bond measures.

A recent report by The Alaska Story documented concerns that the district may have crossed legal boundaries by advocating for passage of school-related propositions, rather than providing neutral information to voters.

School district crosses line, illegally advocates for passage of school bonds

Tracking your ballot

Voters can track the status of their ballots, from mailing to acceptance, through the municipality’s BallotTrax system:
https://anchorage.ballottrax.net/voter/

The city is also streaming live ballot processing and election updates online as results come in. The livestream is on YouTube.