Yes, we spent so much time on the multiple elections last year, but wait! Here comes another…

There is a Kenai Peninsula Borough Special Mayoral Election coming up in February. The candidate will finish out the previous borough’s mayor term, which ends October 2023. There are four candidates running. Information about them can be found at the borough’s election site: https://www.kpb.us/assembly-clerk/elections/166-borough/clerks/elections.

The deadline to register to vote for this election is Jan. 14 at elections.alaska.gov. Absentee in-person voting begins Jan. 30 at Homer City Hall, the Soldotna Prep School, Kenai City Clerk’s office, Seldovia City Clerk’s office and Seward City Clerk’s office, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Feb. 14 is the borough’s special election day.

New session begins in Juneau

While we spent a lot of time researching, listening to and reading candidate information so we could cast our informed vote, the candidates did a ton of work campaigning and those who won our vote are now going to work!

The 33rd Alaska State Legislative Session begins Jan. 17. Legislators have already been busy, though, as Dec. 30 was their deadline to request new bills for prefile.

We can all benefit from tracking what our legislators are busy with: what bills they are sponsoring, what committees they end up on, how they vote on bills moving through. Check out akleg.gov/basis for tracking all of this, go to KTOO.org/gavel and listen to live or archived recordings of sessions and committee hearings. Stop by your local Legislative Information Office where you will find schedules and have opportunities to testify at hearings.

You can be an informed voter and citizen. All votes count and all voices matter.

Therese Lewandowski for Kenai Peninsula Votes