Preliminary election results suggest Juneau voters don’t want boat-free Saturdays

The outcome is whether Juneau should do it or not Ban on all large cruise ships on Saturdays The start of next year is still uncertain after election officials said preliminary results Tuesday evening.

But so far more residents have voted against it than for it.

According to results reported by the city, 3,873 people voted “no” on Proposition 2, while 2,586 people voted “yes” — a difference of 1,287 votes. However, Tuesday’s tally only includes ballots mailed in or cast before Election Day. That means thousands of votes may still need to be counted.

Supporters of the Ship Free Saturdays proposal say Juneau residents want a break from the rapid growth of tourism in recent years, while opponents say it would hurt local businesses that rely on it. If passed, Juneau’s prosecutor said there could be a cascade of legal and logistical hurdles.

Most voters appear to favor two other proposals on the ballot this year. One is a public security guarantee that asks to borrow $12.7 million to replace the radio system used by first responders, and the other is a Wastewater binding It asks for a $10 million loan to replace critical infrastructure at the Juneau Douglas Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The public safety bond has a majority of 1,304 votes for passage and the sewer bond has a majority of 2,198 votes.

Incumbent Beth Weldon is leading the mayoral race this election. She is currently 1,283 votes ahead of her competitor Angela Rodell. If re-elected, it would be Weldon’s third three-year term as mayor.

Neil Steininger, candidate for Constituency 1, is well ahead of his running mate Connor Ulmer for the seat with a lead of 1,621 votes. The candidate who wins the race will replace outgoing MP “Waahlaal Gidaag Barbara Blake”.

For District 2, candidate Maureen Hall is leading the race ahead of the four other candidates in the race. She has 2,172 votes, followed by Nano Brooks with 1,770 votes and Emily Mesch with 781 votes. The winner will replace Michelle Hale.

The three incumbent candidates for three seats on the Juneau School Board have a clear lead over the three other candidates in the race. Elizabeth Siddon leads with the most votes, followed by Will Muldoon and Amber Frommherz.

Two petitions seeking to recall School Board President Deedie Sorensen and Vice President Emil Mackey appear to be failing to gain traction among voters. The results show that 4,091 residents voted against recalling Sorensen’s verses 2,062 in favor and 3,982 voted against recalling Mackey’s verses 2,175 in favor.

Voter turnout was 23% according to Tuesday’s results.

The results released Tuesday evening are subject to change. The city will release updated preliminary results next week. The results will not be certified by election officials until October 15th.

For the latest election news, visit ktoo.org/elections.