Thorne Bay certifies mayoral election results at special canvass meeting

The City of Thorne Bay held a special canvass meeting on May 18, 2026, to review returns from the May 12 special mayoral election. The council met the same evening at City Hall to address matters related to the election.

The canvass meeting started at 5:30 p.m., with the council session scheduled immediately after. The city posted notices for both meetings on its website by mid-May, giving residents several days to review the information before the Monday evening session.

Thorne Bay posted preliminary in-person results on May 13, the day after the election. Absentee and questioned ballots were counted at the May 18 canvass meeting. KRBD reported unofficial results on May 13, noting that absentee and questioned ballots still needed to be counted before results became official.

The May 18 special meeting fell outside Thorne Bay's normal first-and-third-Tuesday schedule. Regular council meetings typically start at 6:30 p.m. with a 6:00 p.m. workshop. Packets are generally posted by 4:00 p.m. the Friday before.

The city originally posted a notice for a canvass meeting on Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. The timing was adjusted at least once before the final May 18 date.

The Thorne Bay City Council serves as the canvassing body for city elections. The city's election process follows a pattern in which preliminary in-person results are released shortly after election day while absentee and questioned ballots are held for counting at a later canvass meeting.

Residents can review city council agendas and packets on the City of Thorne Bay website. Regular council meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at Thorne Bay City Hall.