New independent expenditure group registers for Juneau and Sitka municipal elections

A new independent expenditure group has registered to spend money in the Oct. 6 municipal elections in Juneau and Sitka.

The Alaska Voter Project filed with the Alaska Public Offices Commission on Wednesday. Its registration does not say which candidates or ballot questions it plans to support or oppose. The group describes itself as supporting "policies and candidates that promote economic opportunity in Alaska communities."

Independent expenditure groups can spend for or against candidates as long as they do not coordinate with the campaigns.

The group's chair is Chris McGraw of Sitka, and its treasurer is Cheryl Frasca of Anchorage. Frasca is also treasurer of Repeal Now, which is campaigning to repeal ranked choice voting.

Another group, Forward Frontier, registered as an independent expenditure group in Juneau the same day.

Sitka voters will choose a mayor, two Assembly members and three School Board members, and will decide a ballot proposition. Juneau voters will fill an areawide Assembly seat, one seat each in Assembly Districts 1 and 2 and two Board of Education seats.

Candidate filing has closed in both cities, but write-in candidates can still register until Sept. 29 in Juneau and Oct. 1 in Sitka.