The filing period for running for borough offices opens today and closes on August 28 at 5 p.m. There are open positions in six of the seven districts. Assembly positions are open for districts 1, 2, 4 and 5. These are four-year terms.
School board seats are open for districts 3 and 6. Depending on legislation from the assembly and the state, the school board seats could change from three to two year terms.
Information on filing to run can be found at matsu.gov/elections.
There are three elections in the next few months if you live in the cities of Palmer, Houston or Wasilla. Two elections if you live outside city limits. The first election is the state-wide primary tomorrow. Today is the last day for early voting for that election. If you haven’t yet voted, please vote!
The next elections are the October 6 municipal elections for residents of Palmer, Wasilla, and Houston.
November 3 is the big day. Voters will vote for state and federal candidates, state-wide ballot proportions as well as Mat-Su Borough candidates and ballot propositions. October 4, 2026 is the last day to register to vote or update your registration for the election.
The State and the borough manage their elections separately, even though the elections are on the same day. If you are going to vote absentee by mail, you must request a ballot from both the state and the borough.
Early voting and absentee in-person voting for the November election begin on October 19 and continue through November 2. Voting will be open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the borough building. The Menard Center will also offer early absentee voting for borough voters. Weekday hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday hours from noon to 4 p.m. The Talkeetna and Trapper Creek libraries and the City of Houston will offer absentee-in-person voting.
Early voting is essentially voting at a polling location before Election Day. Absentee voting can be done either in person or by mail. All absentee ballots are verified and counted after Election Day.
Preliminary results for the borough are expected after 9 p.m. on election day. Hand counters must complete their work. Final certification of the borough election is scheduled for November 17.
The borough expects to need 140 to 150 hand counters along with other election workers. Hand counters must be registered voters in the Mat-Su Borough. Training is provided. New workers are generally paired with experienced election officials.
Three ballot propositions have been approved for the borough ballot in November. They are a 5% tax on alcohol, a 1% area-wide sales tax with a $75,000 exemption for owner-occupied property, and a measure giving the borough area-wide authority to acquire rights-of-way and design and construct streets, sidewalks and drainage.
A fourth proposition would change school board terms from three years to four years. That proposal awaits state and assembly approval. The outcome could change the length of terms for candidates running for School Board seats 3 and 6 to two years.
Borough elections held alongside state and federal races draw higher turnout than borough-only elections. In a previous election involving state races, turnout approached 50%, while an off-year borough election had turnout below 20%.
The borough needs people to help administer elections. See matsu.gov/elections for information.
Voters, please get out and vote tomorrow and in the later elections.
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Yours truly, Lee Henrikson reported and produced this Page Two article. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.
That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Monday August 17, 2026.
image from matsu.gov