Anchorage municipal election ballots have been mailed. Here’s how to return them.

The city mailed ballots to registered Anchorage voters on Tuesday, kicking off the next stage of the 2024 municipal election.

On the ballot: the mayor’s office, three school board seats and nine bonds and propositions. Eagle River/Chugiak voters will also see an Assembly candidate on their ballot, who is running unopposed.

Anchorage switched to “vote at home” in 2018. Voters can fill in ballots from anywhere. To ensure your vote is counted, make your selections in the ovals using a black or blue pen, put your ballot in the secrecy sleeve and then the ballot return envelope, and read and sign the declaration on the envelope.

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There are several ways to return your ballot. If you choose to mail your ballot, make sure it is postmarked on or before election day, April 2.

You can also drop it off at a secure drop box. Those are now open, and remain available until 8 p.m. on April 2.

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There are 18 secure drop boxes around the city, with locations including the Loussac Library, City Hall, the UAA Alaska Airlines Center, Eagle River Town Center and the Girdwood Community Center. Other secure drop box locations can be found at the municipality’s elections website.

You can also return your ballot at Anchorage vote centers, which open on March 25. This is the place to go if you need assistance voting, if you didn’t receive a ballot, or if your ballot is lost or damaged. Vote centers are located at City Hall, the Loussac Library and Eagle River Town Center. (Only Chugiak/Eagle River ballots will be available at Eagle River Town Center.)

The vote centers will be open on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., on Saturday, March 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

It’s also possible to vote via email, fax or a temporary address, but to do so, you need to complete an application with the municipal clerk’s office by March 26 at 5 p.m. — if interested, see details on the city’s elections website.

Interested in tracking your ballot to make sure your vote is received and counted? You can sign up to get automatic alerts at anchorage.ballottrax.net/voter

If there is a runoff in the mayoral election — which seems likely — a second round of ballots will be mailed on April 30. Those ballots would need to be returned or postmarked on or before May 14.

Correction: In a runoff election, ballots would need to be returned or postmarked on or before May 14, not May 15.