Mat-Su Borough Election Ballots to Include Political Parties, a First in Alaska

In a groundbreaking move, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough will be making history by including political party affiliations on ballots for mayoral, assembly, and school board candidates starting this November. This decision, voted on by the Mat-Su Borough Assembly on Tuesday, marks the first time in Alaska’s local government history that such information will be provided to voters.

Previously, the proposal to include party affiliations on the ballots was set to be decided by the voters themselves. However, the Assembly took matters into their own hands and approved the change themselves.

Candidates running for school board and assembly positions will now have the option to designate a political party affiliation on the ballot. Those who choose not to do so will simply be listed as “nonpartisan” or “undeclared.”

It is worth noting that local elections in Alaska are typically nonpartisan by law, and historically, political party information has not been included on ballots for local candidates across the state. With this move, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough becomes the trendsetter, being the first municipality in Alaska to introduce partisan information on election ballots.

This decision has sparked discussions among municipal government and school board experts statewide, as it has the potential to impact future elections and the way voters engage with candidates. It will be interesting to see how this change plays out in the upcoming elections and whether it will pave the way for similar reforms in other Alaskan municipalities.