The official in charge of Anchorage elections has resigned as voting is underway in the city.
The municipal clerk announced William Northrop’s resignation as election administrator in a press release on Wednesday, but declined to comment on the reason for his abrupt departure.
Assembly chair Christopher Constant said he didn’t know why Northrop resigned, but he said he does not have concerns about the April 1 election.
“Why I'm confident about the election being conducted safely and accurately and within the law is because we have systems within systems, checks and balances,” Constant said. “We have multiple people that are operating down there. We have leadership by a seasoned professional who has operated many elections.”
The municipal clerk, Jamie Heinz, has stepped in to fill the role. She was Anchorage's first election administrator after the position was created in 2022. She left to become municipal clerk the next year.
In a phone interview, Heinz said she couldn’t comment on why Northrop resigned. In the press release, she said he resigned “respectfully.”
Northrop did not respond to a request for comment.
Heinz had appointed Northrop as acting election administrator in late 2023. The Anchorage Assembly confirmed him in May of 2024. As election administrator, he oversaw the daily logistics of processing ballots and hired and supervised election staff. He was also in charge of public outreach and education about municipal elections.
Berett Wilber, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office, declined to comment on Northrop’s departure, saying that Anchorage elections fall under the legislative branch, which is run by the Anchorage Assembly. The mayor's office is the executive branch, and does not handle elections.
Voting is ongoing in Anchorage’s mail-based city election. Voters must return their ballots by 8 p.m. on Election Day, April 1.