Fairbanks borough voters to decide hand count and November election date Oct. 6

Fairbanks and North Pole would become responsible for running their own municipal elections under one of two ballot measures Fairbanks North Star Borough voters decide Oct. 6.

Proposition 2 would move borough elections from October to the November date used for state and federal races. Borough Clerk April Trickey said by email to KUAC, in the station's Aug. 11 report, that if borough and city dates no longer match, "the Borough would no longer partner with the cities to conduct their elections." The cities of Fairbanks and North Pole would then administer their own voting.

Proposition 3 would mandate manual hand counting of all ballots by registered borough voters and prohibit electronic tabulation systems. Both measures would take effect with the 2027 election cycle.

The borough clerk recertified the hand-count initiative Aug. 5 for placement before voters Oct. 6 as Proposition 3. The petition required 2,391 signatures to qualify for the ballot.

Under the pamphlet language the Assembly will consider, regular ballots would be hand-counted at polling places on election day. Questioned, absentee and special needs ballots would be separated and counted at a central location, with counting conducted in public view to the extent practicable. The proposed language also notes that a hand count typically takes longer to determine results than an electronic tabulation system. It states that when a voter now inserts a ballot into the tabulator, the machine alerts them to potential ballot-marking issues and lets them review and vote a new ballot. If the proposition passes, a hand-counting board would instead determine voter intent according to election procedures. The draft also states that under Alaska law, if Proposition 3 is approved, the ordinance is law for two years. Neither the Assembly nor voters could repeal, modify or negate it during that period.

The ordinance does not include a fiscal analysis or estimate of implementation costs, and the borough has not conducted a fiscal analysis of the switch. The Assembly Finance Committee in March 2025 declined to renew a roughly $220,000, five-year sole-source contract with Dominion, now Liberty Vote.

Alaska News previously covered the borough's October election preparations, including Alaska Division of Community and Regional Affairs sessions walking municipal clerks through Title 29 documentation requirements ahead of the Oct. 6 vote.

The Assembly meets in special session Aug. 20 and is scheduled to consider Resolution No. 2026-26, the factual pamphlet language for the hand-count measure. Voters must register or update their registration by Sept. 6 to cast a ballot in October.