The Petersburg Borough municipal election is on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
Ways to vote
Links redirect to the Borough website:
- Vote on election day: Tuesday, Oct. 6 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Parks and Recreation Activity Room (500 North 3rd St). Don’t forget to bring identification!
- Vote early in-person: Downstairs in the municipal building (12 S Nordic Drive) weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Sept. 16 – Oct. 5 at noon. Don’t forget your ID!
- Vote by mail: Sign the Absentee-by-Mail Ballot Application and return it to the Borough Clerk no later than Oct. 2 at 4:30 p.m. in order to cast a ballot by mail.
- Vote by email: Sign the Absentee Ballot by Electronic Submission Application and return it to the Borough Clerk no later than Oct. 1 at 4:30 p.m. in order to cast a ballot by email.
Other important dates:
- The deadline to submit letters of intent to be a write-in candidate is Oct. 2. (Names of people who have not declared candidacy written onto a ballot will not be counted.)
- The deadline to request an absentee or electronic ballot is Oct. 1.
- The deadline to cast your absentee ballot in this election is Oct. 5 at noon.
From the newsroom
Individual interviews with all 6 candidates running for the 3 open seats on the Petersburg Borough Assembly:
Four candidates running for two 3-year terms
Two candidates running for one 1-year term
Election coverage highlights:
- Borough Assembly is only contested race in Petersburg’s 2026 local election — Aug. 27
- Filing window opens for Petersburg’s 2026 municipal election — July 28
- Sales tax cap question slated for Petersburg ballot (Prop No. 2 & includes Prop No. 1 info) — June 24
- Voters to decide on proposed sales tax exemption for Petersburg seniors (Prop No. 3) — Sept. 4
Candidate forum – Assembly
Petersburg’s local newsrooms held a forum with five of six candidates running for Borough Assembly (1-year seat candidate Don Koenigs was out of down and unable to attend virtually). Reporters asked candidates questions during the first hour (Part 1) and the second hour (Part 2) was for questions from the live audience. Thank you to all who submitted questions, tuned in, and attended this public event on Sept. 15!
You can listen to recordings of the forum below.
PART 1 — OPENING STATEMENTS & NEWSROOM QUESTIONS:
PART 2 — AUDIENCE QUESTIONS & CLOSING STATEMENTS:
There are 23 elected positions and 3 propositions on the ballot for voters to decide.
Proposition #1
Electric Utility Revenue Bonds for the Scow Bay Standby Generation Project
Prop 1 would authorize a $3.3 million revenue bond to help pay for a diesel generator project in Scow Bay to provide power when local loads are high or hydropower is lost. The project started in 2022, but construction costs skyrocketed and caused a “dramatic budget shortfall that would be funded through this bond.” It’s a proposal from the Borough’s electric utility department.
- The proposed bond would be repaid solely through revenues of the electric utility. In other words, money from local utility bills.
- Utility department officials say approving the measure would not cause an additional increase to rates.
- Click here to see the language passed by the Borough Assembly
Proposition #2
Increasing the maximum single transaction amount subject to Borough sales tax from $1,200 to $5,000
Petersburg voters will decide this fall whether to raise the town’s sales tax cap. Currently, sales and services are taxed on the first $1,200. So tax on a single purchase is capped at $72 max.
- Approving Prop 2 would raise that cap to $300 by changing the taxable amount to $5,000. In other words, a purchase over five grand would be taxed $300 at most.
- Borough officials say Petersburg has the lowest cap among major towns in Southeast Alaska. Revenue generated from raising the cap would support essential Borough services.
- Click here to see the language proposed by the Borough and passed by the Assembly.
Proposition #3
Establishing a sales tax exemption for qualified Borough residents age 70 and older
Prop 3 is a citizen initiative allowing any Petersburg resident age 70 years and older to be exempt from local sales tax. Petersburg voters will decide whether or not the town should have a sales tax exemption for seniors age 70 and older, regardless of income.
- Voters decided in 2025 to end the town’s exemption for any seniors age 65 and older, and replace it with one limited to just low-income seniors.
- Prop 3 would not change or affect the current sales tax exemption for low-income seniors.
- Passing Prop 3 and installing an exemption for seniors age 70 and older is estimated to remove at least $350,000 in Borough revenue.
We are still adding to this page — check back later for updates.
