Voting About to Begin in HEA, MEA elections
Published March 27, 2025
Voting in board elections is about to begin at both Homer Electric Association (HEA) and Matanuska Electric Association (MEA). HEA members will elect three directors, one in each electoral district. MEA members will elect two directors, one At-Large and one representing the Matanuska District. Voting for HEA starts on March 28 and runs through the HEA Annual meeting on May 1. Voting for MEA will start on April 3 and run through its Annual Meeting on April 29.
AETP has sent questionnaires to all candidates asking about important issues facing their utility. Candidate responses will be published as they are received.
HEA
HEA members will elect one director in each district. Members can vote in three ways—online through HEA’s voting portal, by mail, or at the HEA Annual Meeting on May 1 at Kenai Central High School (voting at the Annual Meeting will be available from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.). Electronic voting begins on March 28 and will close at 5 p.m. on April 30.
In a change from previous years, those wishing to vote by mail need to request a ballot—they will no longer be automatically mailed to all members. Requests for mail-in ballots can be made through the HEA Election website. Those needing assistance requesting a ballot can also call HEA Member Services at 907-235-8551 or 907-283-5831. Mail-in ballots must be received by 5 p.m. on April 30 to be counted—please note, the election administrator is located in Minnesota, so anyone mailing a ballot should leave sufficient time for it to arrive before the deadline.
In District 1, incumbent Wayne Ogle faces Patrick Parker. District 1 includes Kenai, Nikiski, and parts of Soldotna. (District maps are available on the HEA Election page).
In District 2, current board President Dan Furlong faces challenger Mitchell Michaud. District 2 includes parts of Soldotna, Sterling, and parts of Kasilof.
In District 3, incumbent Erin McKittrick faces two challengers—Matthew Bullard and Rick Eckert. District 3 includes Homer, Seldovia, and parts of Kasilof.
Candidate statements and biographies can be found on the HEA Election website. HEA Directors serve three-year terms.
MEA:
MEA members will elect a director representing the Matanuska District and one At-Large director representing the entire membership. Ballots and election booklets will be mailed to members on April 3—online voting will also open that day. Members can vote in one of three ways—online (through their SmartHub accounts), by paper ballot, or at the Annual Meeting. Online voting closes April 28 at 5 p.m.; this is also the deadline for receiving mail ballots. The MEA Annual Meeting will be held on April 29 at 3 p.m. at the Glenn Massay Theater located on the University of Alaska’s Mat-Su campus.
In the Matanuska District, incumbent Mark Masteller faces challenger Thomas Bergey. The Matanuska District includes Palmer and areas along the Glenn Highway. Only members whose primary service address is in this district can vote in this race.
Incumbent Arthur Keyes is running unopposed for the At-Large seat, which represents all MEA members. There had been two other candidates—Tyler Vose and Michael Willmon—but both have withdrawn from the race. Because they withdrew after ballots and election pamphlets were printed, their names will still appear on the ballot. MEA is encouraging members to still vote in this race.
Candidate statements and biographies, and district boundaries can be found on the MEA Election page. MEA is completing a transition in director’s term length—going forward, all newly elected directors will serve four-year terms.
MEA’s Board recently approved a staff recommendation to switch to a primarily online voting system in 2026. Starting next year, mail-in ballots will still be available, but will not be automatically sent to all members. Those wishing to use them will have to request them from the utility. Chugach Electric Association has used this approach for several years, and HEA switched to it this year. This has been explained as a cost-saving measure, since many members now vote electronically.
