Sitka voters choose a mayor and decide when citizen petitions reach the ballot

Sitka voters are choosing a mayor, two Assembly members and three School Board members Tuesday. They're also deciding whether to end an automatic special-election requirement for certain citizen initiatives and referendums.

Candidates

Thor Christianson, Lisa Lane and Kevin Mosher are running for one two-year mayoral term.

Voters may choose up to two candidates for two three-year Assembly terms: Sherri Blankenship, JJ Carlson, Darrell Windsor and Mary Ann J. Hall, a declared write-in candidate whose name isn't printed on the ballot. Her supporters must fill in the write-in oval and write her name on the line provided.

Phil Burdick, Matt Potter and Kat Richards are running for three School Board seats, two three-year terms and one one-year term.

Proposition 1

Proposition 1 would remove a charter provision that automatically triggers a special election, held 40 to 90 days after a petition is filed, when an initiative or referendum petition is signed by at least one-third as many voters as participated in the last regular election.

Instead, a qualifying petition would go to the next already scheduled regular or special municipal election at least 40 days after certification. The Assembly could still call an earlier special election by ordinance if it found that was in the municipality's best interest.

The initiative and referendum process would remain. Petitions would still need signatures equal to at least 20% of the voters in the last regular election to qualify.

The Assembly voted 4-2 in May to put the measure on the ballot. Members Scott Saline and Katie Riley opposed it.

The municipal clerk's memo says a 2025 special election triggered by the one-third threshold cost Sitka about $18,250. That May 2025 vote, on a citizen initiative to limit cruise visitation, failed 2,170 to 826.

Voting

Both Sitka precincts vote at Harrigan Centennial Hall, 330 Harbor Drive, from 7 am to 8 pm. Absentee ballots can be requested by fax or email until 5 pm and must be received by 8 pm.

The City and Borough of Sitka election page links the official candidate pages, sample ballot and the full proposition ordinance and memo. Results stay unofficial until certification Oct. 13, after absentee and questioned ballots are counted Oct. 9.