4.20.020 Absentee by mail voting.
A. A qualified voter may apply to the clerk for an absentee by mail ballot to be mailed to the voter. The clerk must receive the application not earlier than the first of the year in which the election is to be held and not later than 5:00 p.m. Alaska time seven calendar days before the election. A request for an absentee by mail ballot may be made by facsimile or by electronic means.
B. All applications for an absentee by mail ballot shall be in writing on a form provided by the clerk’s office containing the following information:
1. The applicant’s full Alaska residential address;
2. The address to which the absentee ballot is to be mailed. If no ballot mailing address is provided, the ballot will be sent to the voter’s permanent mailing address on file with the State of Alaska Division of Elections;
3. The applicant’s signature; and
4. A voter identifier such as voter number, a social security number, or date of birth.
C. Once the ballots are in the clerk’s possession and ready for distribution, and upon timely receipt of an application for absentee by mail ballot, the clerk shall send an official ballot and other absentee voting material to the applicant by first class mail.
D. A voter who applies for and receives an absentee by mail ballot may vote the ballot at any time on or before the day of the election. The voted ballot shall then be placed in a secrecy sleeve, which is then placed in a return envelope. The voter shall sign the certification on the return envelope in the presence of either of the following, who shall attest to the voter’s signature by signing the certification:
1. A person qualified to administer oaths, such as a notary public; U.S. postmaster or authorized postal clerk; commissioned military officer; judge; justice; magistrate; clerk of the court; a duly appointed voter registrar, or election official as defined in WMC 4.04.010; or
2. One witness who is at least 18 years of age if a person qualified to administer oaths is not reasonably accessible.
E. After the witnessing of the absentee voter’s signature, the voter shall mail or otherwise deliver the ballot return envelope as described in this subsection. If returned by mail, the absentee by mail ballot return envelope shall be received within the time prescribed by WMC 4.28.080(A), or delivered to an election official or drop box location designated by the clerk, no later than 8:00 p.m. on election day. Ballot return envelopes returned to a precinct or early voting site shall remain in the election official’s custody and shall be delivered to the clerk as directed by the clerk.
F. Before the opening of the polls on election day, or as soon as is practicable thereafter, the clerk shall give to the election board in each precinct a list of voters who have voted an absentee by mail ballot. A voter on the list may not vote a regular ballot at a precinct on election day, but may vote a questioned ballot. A voter who was issued but has not voted an absentee by mail ballot may not vote a regular ballot at a precinct on election day unless the voter first surrenders the absentee by mail ballot to the election board. If the voter does not have the absentee by mail ballot to surrender, the voter may vote a questioned ballot. Absentee by mail ballots surrendered to the election board shall be returned to the clerk. (Ord. 21-10 § 3, 2021; Ord. 16-15 § 10, 2016; Ord. 12-20 § 20, 2012; Ord. 04-24(SUB) § 6, 2004; Ord. 02-22 § 14, 2002; Ord. 01-16(SUB) § 7, 2001; prior code § 18.25.020)