The filing period for Sitka’s municipal election opens today (7-15-24).
Several seats are opening up on the Sitka Assembly this fall. Mayor Steven Eisenbeisz’s two-year term is up, and assembly members Scott Saline and Kevin Mosher are finishing their terms, leaving two three-year seats up for grabs. On the Sitka School Board, Tristan Guevin and Todd Gebler’s terms are expiring this year, both three-year terms.
In an interview with KCAW, Municipal Clerk Sara Peterson said anyone who is interested in running for local office can stop by her office to pick up a packet of filing paperwork.
Some folks will ask me, ‘Should I really be doing this? Is this a good idea?’ Peterson said. “There are challenging times but there’s also a lot of good that happens.”
“I always tell folks that, at the end of their term…they’re going to look back and say that it was worth their time,” Peterson said.
The filing period is open for three weeks. Then the ballot is quickly prepared and printed. Early voting begins on Monday September 16 at Harrigan Centennial Hall, and Sitkans can also vote by fax, mail or personal representative. But Peterson is excited- they’ve added a new voting option in response to community feedback about weekday voting.
“The something new we’re adding this year is early voting on Saturday mornings. So office staff will be there from 9-12, September 21 and September 28,” Peterson said. “We received some feedback the last couple of years, and so I wanted to try and extend another opportunity for voters to to exercise the right to vote.”
Sitka’s municipal election is Tuesday, October 1. For more information on how to file, call the municipal clerk’s office at 907-747-1811.
