Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Assembly rejects change to absentee voting deadlines and witness rules after hours of public comment
Summary
An ordinance that would have tightened absentee ballot deadlines and changed witness-signature rules failed 2-7 after a lengthy public hearing in which voters, civic groups and elections experts warned the changes would disenfranchise mail-dependent voters.
The Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly voted down Ordinance 2025-10, which would have rewritten absentee voting procedures to require absentee ballots be received by the close of polls on Election Day and to change witness-signature requirements.
The measure, sponsored by Assemblymember Aimee Haney, also attempted several other changes including requiring printed names next to signatures and (initially) limiting the number of ballots a private witness could attest to. The ordinance failed on a 2-7 final vote after amendments and multiple substitute motions.
Supporters of the ordinance, including Haney, said the changes were intended to increase confidence in election results and speed the canvass. Haney described the proposed changes as accommodating voters with different…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
