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Alaska2026Passed Legislature

HB163

HB 163: Changes to Election Dates, Holidays, and Terms for Local Officials

Last scannedSep 10, 2026, 12:32 AM

In one sentence

This bill changes the length of terms for school board members and mayors from three years to four years, moves regional school elections to even-numbered November dates, and declares Election Day a holiday.

What it does

  • Changes the term length for regional school board members from staggered three-year terms to four-year terms.
  • Moves regional school board elections from annual October votes to every two years in November of even-numbered years.
  • Updates borough and city school board member terms from three years to four years with new rules for initial boards.
  • Extends the term length for mayors of boroughs and first-class cities from three years to four years.
  • Requires that governing body members determine their initial term lengths by lot so elections are staggered in even-numbered years.

Who it affects

  • Regional school board members
  • Borough and city school board members
  • Mayors of boroughs and first-class cities
  • Members of municipal governing bodies

Limits and unknowns

  • The bill text does not specify an exact effective date for when these changes begin.
  • Some rules allow school boards to request exceptions regarding runoff elections, but details depend on local resolutions.
  • The specific dates for the first election under the new schedule are determined by lot and future regulations.

Plain language

Terms to know

Staggered terms
A system where different officials' terms end in different years so not all seats are up for election at once.
At large
Elected by voters from the entire area rather than representing a specific district or neighborhood.

Official record

Sources

Validated
Official bill pageIntroduced textCurrent bill text

Official summary

ELECTION DATE; ELECTION HOLIDAY; TERMS An Act relating to municipal and school board elections; declaring Election Day a holiday; relating to terms of office for municipal mayors, municipal governing bodies, elected utility boards, and school boards; and providing for an effective date.

Official activity

Bill history

  1. (H) REFERRED TO COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS564
  2. (H) CRA, FIN564
  3. (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS564