Assembly updates borough code on elections

Published 1:30 am Friday, February 27, 2026

The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly passed an ordinance at their last meeting on Feb. 17, amending borough code on elections. The move comes after a majority of voters in October approved a ballot proposition — Proposition No. 5 — that changed the borough’s regular election date to align with the State of Alaska elections in November.

Ordinance 2026-02 amends KPB Title 4 to update code on election worker compensation and the candidate filing period, add a new candidate withdrawal period and extend the terms of office for current elected officials to align with a November election date.

According to the ordinance, prior to Prop 5’s ratification, the majority of election workers served during both the state primary elections in August and general elections in November, and the regular borough elections in October. Now, with both borough and state regular elections occurring in November, the borough feels it necessary to offer “competitive compensation in order to retain experienced election workers and attract new workers.”

The ordinance amends KPB 4.10.130 to allow the election supervisor to set hourly compensation for election officials at a rate set by the borough assembly through the annual budgeting process rather than remaining in accordance with the rate paid by the state for state elections.

Additionally, the ordinance states that amendments to the candidate filing period are necessary to “better align” with borough elections held in November, and it is “an opportune time” to provide candidates with a seven-day withdrawal period.

Previously, the borough candidate filing period opened Aug. 1 and closed Aug. 15. The ordinance changes the filing period to open Aug. 16 and close Aug. 31. Borough code also previously disallowed candidates from correcting, amending or withdrawing their declaration of candidacy once the filing period closed. Through Ordinance 2026-02, candidates still may not correct or amend their declarations once the filing period has closed, but they may withdraw their declaration of candidacy by filing a written notice of withdrawal with the clerk within seven calendar days following the close of the candidate filing period.

“If the withdraw is timely, the candidate’s name will not appear on the ballot,” the new code reads.

Finally, the ordinance states that shifting borough elections from October to November necessitates the need to extend terms of current elected officials whose seats would be up for election in 2026, 2027 or 2028 by one month in order to align with the November election date and “provide for a smooth transition for elected offices.” A Jan. 8 memorandum says that with this change, which is expected to affect the next three consecutive election cycles and affects the borough mayor’s seat, assembly seats and elected service area board members, will allow those seats to “remain in effect” until certification of the November regular election.

“During this transition period all incumbent elected officials will retain the full authority and responsibilities of their office until their successors are elected, certified and qualified,” the ordinance reads.

Ordinance 2026-02 underwent a public hearing during the Feb. 17 meeting; no public testimony was given during the meeting.

Assembly president Ryan Tunseth and assembly member Cindy Ecklund thanked borough clerk Michele Turner — upon whose request the ordinance was introduced by Tunseth and assembly members Dale Eicher and Lenora Niesen — for having the forethought to make the changes brought forth in the ordinance to help the borough get through the upcoming election process more smoothly.

“I’d just like to emphasize for the public that much of this is administrative corrections as we move after that last vote,” assembly member Michael Hicks said.

Find the ordinance in full at kpb.legistar.com.