KPB Proposition 1 Facts and Answers
What is Proposition 1?
Ballot Language:
Shall Initiative Ordinance 2024-01, calling for the Kenai Peninsula Borough Code of Ordinances, Title 4 - Elections, be amended to change the current election process to require that all ballots cast in person on Election Day be counted manually at borough precincts by registered Kenai Peninsula Borough voters, and eliminate the use of electronic voting tabulators, be enacted?
YES: A "Yes" vote means you approve enacting the citizen initiative ordinance that eliminates electronic tabulators at borough election precincts and requires a manual hand count of in person paper ballots.
NO: A "No" vote means you oppose enacting the citizen initiative ordinance that eliminates electronic tabulators at borough election precincts and requires a manual hand count of in person paper ballots.
What is a ballot optical scan tabulator and how does it work?
A ballot optical scan tabulator is an electronic voting system that reads and counts paper ballots using optical scanning technology, like a high-speed scanner with a calculator. It combines the benefits of paper ballots (a permanent, auditable record of voter intent) with the efficiency and accuracy of electronic tabulation.
Here’s how it works:
- Voters receive a paper ballot.
- Voters mark their choices by filling in the ovals with a ballot marking pen or by using a voting tablet that prints a ballot.
- The ballot is inserted into the tabulator.
- The tabulator uses optical sensors to scan the ballot and detects marks on the ballot (filled in ovals) to record the vote. The tabulator creates a digital image of the ballot for auditing and recounts if needed.
- If there’s an error (such as an overvote), the tabulator alerts the voter, who can choose to correct or cast the ballot as-is.
- The paper ballot drops into a secure ballot box attached to the tabulator. The tabulator keeps an electronic tally of all ballots cast on Election Day.
- At the end of Election Day, results are transmitted securely via an external modem to election headquarters at the borough.
Paper ballots are preserved for recounts and audits. The Canvass Board verifies accuracy by hand-counting ballots from at least three precincts each election. The three precincts change for each election.
How long has the borough been using tabulators for elections?
The borough has been using tabulating election equipment since the early 1990s. The State of Alaska loaned their tabulators to the borough to conduct borough elections. In 2001, the borough leased its own election software and tabulating equipment. In 2023, the borough purchased updated election software and tabulating equipment.
What are all the ways to cast a ballot in borough elections?
Absentee In Person at one of five locations: Soldotna, Kenai, Homer, Seward, Seldovia.
Absentee by Mail. Applications to receive a ballot by mail are processed through the myKPB portal or paper applications received by September 30, 2025. https://my.kpb.us/users/sign_in
Absentee by Fax. Applications to receive a ballot by fax are processed through the myKPB portal or paper applications received by October 6, 2025. https://my.kpb.us/users/sign_in
By Personal Representative. If a voter is unable to vote at a polling location, a personal representative may fill out the necessary paperwork in order to bring a ballot to a voter. For more information, call the borough clerk’s office.
In Person on Election Day. 27 in person polling locations are open on Election Day 7:00 am – 8:00 pm. (22 precincts and 5 Absentee voting locations) To determine your polling location, please visit: https://myvoterportal.alaska.gov/ or call the borough clerk’s office.
How does the Borough ensure accessibility for voters with disabilities?
The Kenai Peninsula Borough follows the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure full accessibility by creating and maintaining physical and digital environments that are accessible to all individuals.
Every polling location in the borough is equipped with a voting tablet that allows voters to cast their ballot independently. The voting tablet can read the ballot to a voter, increase/decrease the ballot font size and adjust the lightness/darkness of the tablet screen. The voting tablet is simply an electronic ballot marking device. The voter casts their votes on the tablet by tapping the candidate’s name or answer to a ballot proposition. Once the voter is satisfied with their selections, a paper ballot is printed on the printer located at the precinct. The paper ballot is then inserted in the tabulator.
The tablet prints a paper ballot, which is then cast in the tabulator.
What processes are used to ensure accuracy and fairness?
The Kenai Peninsula Borough Election Coordinator Board performs and certifies Logic and Accuracy (L&A) testing before every election to ensure tabulators are programmed and working correctly. Testing for the October 7, 2025 Regular Election is as follows:
- Initial Test – Performed by the Election Coordinator Board beginning September 10, 2025.
- Second Test – Performed by the Election Review Board on September 11, 2025.
Did you know that Logic and Accuracy Testing is open to the public at the George A. Navarre Borough Administration Building? If you are interested in participating, call 907-714-VOTE (8683), or 1-833-796-VOTE (8683) for more information.
The Canvass Board reviews absentee, special needs, and questioned ballots, and verifies precinct results. The day after election day, October 8, 2025, the canvass board will begin reviewing the tallies of each precinct’s recorded vote.
For the October 7, 2025 election, meetings will be held from September 29 through October 15, 2025, in the Frances Brymer Conference Room in the Borough Clerk’s Office, Soldotna.
Sessions are open to the public for observation. Observation rules, dates and times are posted on the Borough website and available at the Borough Clerk’s Office. Call 907-714-VOTE (8683), or 1-833-796-VOTE (8683) with any questions.
How can I become an election worker for the Kenai Peninsula Borough elections?
If you are interested in becoming an election worker, contact the borough clerk’s office. All election workers must be a registered voter in the borough, be willing to work an approximate 16 hour day or more on election day, remain non-partisan on Election Day and not express any political opinions while on the job and must attend a paid training session. Please note that election workers cannot have a familial relationship with a candidate on the ballot.
Contact the borough clerk’s office for more information.
Does the Kenai Peninsula Borough use paper ballots?
Yes, votes cast during borough elections are on paper ballots, whether voters are voting at the polls on election day, absentee in person, absentee by mail or absentee by fax prior to election day, including ballots that are cast on voting tablets.
Does the Kenai Peninsula Borough have precincts that receive ballots by mail?
Yes, there are six precincts that are designated by mail precincts: Fox River, Seldovia/Kachemak Bay, Cooper Landing, Hope, Moose Pass, Tyonek.
KPB 4.50.015 provides that those precincts which had less than 75 voters voting at the last regular municipal election may be designated as absentee by-mail precincts. The first four by mail precincts were designated in 1998 by Resolution 98-064.
How can I update my voter information?
Voter registration is organized and maintained by the Alaska Division of Elections. Voter information can be found at the Alaska Division of Elections webpages:
https://myvoterportal.alaska.gov/ Voter Information Lookup
https://voterregistration.alaska.gov/ Register or Update Voter Registration
View KPB Proposition 1 Legislation
This publication is authorized by Kenai Peninsula Borough Ordinance 2025-19-09 regarding Propositions 1 and 5