The registration deadline has passed for would-be city council candidates to get their names on the ballots in Palmer, Wasilla and Houston, but that doesn’t mean residents can’t still win a seat on Election Day on Oct. 1, 2024. How? By running as a write-in candidate.

A write-in candidate is just what it sounds like: a candidate whose name is handwritten by a voter on the ballot. But in most municipalities, including Houston, Wasilla and Palmer, the rules don’t allow just any resident to be officially tallied as a write-in candidate. Instead, would-be write-in candidates must still meet certain local requirements and register with the city clerk, just like listed candidates.

How do write-in candidates qualify for Mat-Su city elections? The rules vary slightly from city to city. Here’s what you need to know:

Houston City Council Elections and Write-In Candidates

Houston allows write-in candidates for its city council and, by extension, its mayoral election.

Houston does not ask voters to elect a mayor. Instead, the mayor is chosen annually through a vote of the City Council. For example, the current mayor of Houston, Carter Cole, is also the City Council member elected to Seat C. He was selected for mayor by his fellow council members for a one-year term.

Houston has four names officially registered for the 2024 ballot, with two people running for Seat C, one person running for Seat A, and one person running for Seat B. If Cole is not reelected to Seat C, he will no longer be eligible to serve as mayor.

To run as a write-in candidate for the 2024 election, Houston residents must file a notarized statement of intent with the city clerk by 1 p.m. Sept. 30 and pay a $25 filing fee. A list of information that must be included in the letter can be found on the city’s website.

Palmer City Council Elections and Write-In Candidates

Palmer allows write-in candidates for its city council and mayoral elections.

Just like candidates whose names are printed on the ballot, write-in candidates are included in Palmer’s at-large election system. Palmer asks voters to choose a certain number of people from a list of candidates based on how many council seats are available, instead of dividing its elections and candidates into specific seats. The candidates with the most votes win.

For example, the 2024 ballot lists five registered candidates for two open seats. This means the two candidates with the most votes will be placed on the council.

To run as a write-in candidate for the Palmer City Council in 2024, Palmer residents must file a complete nominating petition and candidate packet with the city clerk by 5 p.m. Sept. 26. The nominating petition must contain the names, information and signatures of at least 20 registered Palmer voters.

Wasilla City Council Elections and Write-In Candidates

Wasilla allows write-in candidates for its city council and mayoral elections.

Wasilla residents elect council members to specific seats and elect one person to serve as mayor. In 2024, voters will elect council members to three-year terms in Seats A and B. One candidate registered for each seat before the deadline, and no other names will appear on the ballot.

Voters may select a resident who isn’t listed by writing in the name of a registered write-in candidate. To run as a write-in candidate, Wasilla residents must file a notarized letter of intent with the city clerk by 1 p.m. Sept. 30 and submit a copy of their financial disclosure form required by the Alaska Public Offices Commission.

How Write-In Votes Are Tallied

Even if a resident correctly registers as a write-in candidate and voters write in their name, the candidate may not be listed in official results due to write-in tally rules. After votes are cast, write-in candidates will be counted as a lumped “write-in” group in each race. Individual candidates will only be broken out if they receive enough votes to make them competitive.

For example, if write-in candidate James Doe receives more votes than a candidate listed on the ballot, Doe’s name would be included in the official results. If he got fewer, his votes would be documented as “write-in” votes.

-- Amy Bushatz can be contacted at abushatz@matsusentinel.com.

This article was updated Aug. 19 to clarify the term length for Houston mayor.