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Clerk recommends keeping witness attestation on mail ballots; assembly opts to retain requirement

Kodiak Island Borough Assembly · December 17, 2025

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Summary

After reviewing other municipal practices and noting only four rejected ballots in the last election, the clerk proposed removing the attestation line but the assembly voted to keep the status quo to preserve perceived ballot validity and small fraud-prevention benefits.

Clerk Nova presented the assembly with background on mail-ballot attestation, saying that municipalities such as Juneau and Anchorage do not require attestation but most borough clerks surveyed do. The clerk noted that the borough had rejected only four ballots in the recent election due to envelope issues.

Assembly members debated whether attestation creates an unnecessary barrier for voters or whether it helps protect ballot validity. Several members said they saw little evidence of mail-ballot fraud locally and that attestation could be removed to improve access; others said the attestation provides a modest fraud-prevention step and favored keeping it.

After discussion, the assembly chose to leave the attestation requirement in place (status quo). There was no ordinance introduced to change the form at the Dec. 16 work session.