The assembly shall appoint a canvass committee which will canvass all votes after the election judges have completed their tally of votes. The members of the committee shall be qualified electors of the municipality.
(Code 1989 § 70-1; Ord. 07-13 § 2; Ord. 18-17 § 2)
The canvass committee will meet on or before the first Monday after the election and canvass all absentee and challenged ballots executed in the election. The date, time, and location will be set by a majority vote of the assembly and published per DBC § 1.05.020. The canvass may be postponed from day to day for cause but not exceeding five days in total.
(Code 1989 § 70-2; Ord. 91-11 § 11; Ord. 07-13 § 2; Ord. 18-17 § 2)
A. 
The canvass of all early, mail, and questioned ballots will be made in public by opening the returned ballots and announcing the results thereof in front of whomever may be present.
B. 
All ballots to be canvassed shall be counted by the borough clerk and two or more assistants appointed by him/her in the following manner: all ballot envelopes shall be removed from return envelopes and placed in a ballot box; the return envelopes shall be delivered to the borough clerk. The ballots then shall one by one be removed from the ballot box, taken out of the ballot envelopes and counted in the same manner in which ballots cast at the polls are counted by an election board.
C. 
The canvass shall include a review and comparison of the tallies of the paper ballots with the precinct election certificates to correct any mathematical error in the count of paper ballots.
D. 
If the borough clerk finds an unexplained error in the tally of paper ballots in any precinct election tally, they may count the ballots from the precinct. The borough clerk shall certify in writing to the canvass committee any changes resulting from the count.
(Code 1989 § 70-3; Ord. 07-13 § 2; Ord. 18-17 § 2)
A. 
The borough clerk shall contact the State Division of Elections and the local voter registrars by the Thursday following the election and determine if persons casting questioned ballots because of failure of their names to appear on the master voter registration list were in fact registered to vote in state elections. The borough clerk shall record the names of those questioned voters in fact registered to vote and shall submit their names as registered to vote when their questioned ballots are examined with other questioned ballots according to the procedures established herein.
B. 
The canvass committee shall examine each questioned ballot envelope and shall determine whether the person casting each questioned ballot was registered and eligible to vote. In making this determination, the canvass committee may request the assistance of the clerk, and shall hear the testimony of the voter who cast the questioned ballot and of any other municipal resident who has information useful to the canvass committee decision. If the canvass committee determines that the voter was eligible to vote, the oath and affidavit envelope shall be opened and the ballot removed. If the canvass committee upholds the challenge, the decision shall be noted in the minutes and the oath and affidavit envelope shall not be opened, but shall be saved with the other election materials. A questioned ballot may not be counted if:
1. 
The voter has failed to properly execute the certificate;
2. 
An official authorized by law to attest the certificate failed to execute the certificate;
3. 
The voter did not enclose the marked ballot inside the small envelope.
C. 
Any person present at the questioned ballot review may challenge the name of a questioned voter when read from the voter's certificate on the back of the large envelope if they have good reason to suspect that the questioned voter is not qualified to vote, is disqualified, or has voted at the same election. The person making the challenge shall specify the basis of the challenge in writing. The canvass committee by majority vote may refuse to accept and count the questioned ballot of a person properly challenged under grounds listed in this subsection.
D. 
If a questioned ballot is rejected, the borough clerk shall send a copy of the statement of the challenge to the questioned voter. The borough clerk shall place all rejected questioned ballots in a separate envelope with statements of challenge. The envelope shall be labeled "rejected questioned ballots" and shall be placed in the office safe or lockable container.
E. 
If a questioned ballot is not rejected, the large envelope shall be opened and the small envelope containing the questioned ballot shall be placed in a ballot box and mixed with other small envelopes containing questioned ballots. The questioned ballots shall then one by one be removed from the ballot box, taken out of the ballot envelopes and counted in the same manner in which ballots cast at the polls are counted.
(Code 1989 § 70-4; Ord. 07-13 § 2; Ord. 18-17 § 2)
The canvass committee may order testimony of witnesses and issue subpoenas while investigating questioned ballots. The subpoenas may be enforced by the court upon certification as provided by the state code of civil procedure concerning the enforcement of administrative and state agency subpoenas.
(Code 1989 § 70-5; Ord. 07-13 § 2; Ord. 18-17 § 2)
A. 
The canvass committee shall examine each ballot return envelope. Upon the committee's satisfaction that:
1. 
The voter is registered to vote;
2. 
The voter is a resident of the borough;
3. 
The voter cast their ballot according to the instructions provided with the ballot; and
4. 
The ballot was cast before the close of the polls in the borough.
The return envelope shall be opened and the blank envelope containing the ballot shall be placed in a ballot box and mixed with other small envelopes containing the previously reviewed questioned ballots.
B. 
If the canvass committee determines that a voter voting by mail was not in fact a qualified voter, or did not follow voting procedures, the canvass committee, by majority vote, may refuse to accept and count the ballot. The return envelope shall not be opened but rather the reasons for rejection shall be noted on the envelope. The borough clerk shall place all such rejected ballots in an envelope marked "rejected ballots" to be saved with other election materials. The borough clerk shall notify the voter in writing why their ballot was rejected.
(Code 1989 § 70-6; Ord. 07-13 § 2; Ord. 18-17 § 2)
The questioned ballots and mail ballots shall then one by one be removed from the ballot box, taken out of the ballot envelopes and counted by the canvass committee in the same manner in which ballots cast at the polls are counted.
(Code 1989 § 70-7; Ord. 07-13 § 2; Ord. 18-17 § 2)
Canvass committee members shall examine the defective ballots to see whether the ballot should be counted and, if so, whether they can determine for whom the voter intended to vote.
(Code 1989 § 70-8; Ord. 07-13 § 2; Ord. 18-17 § 2)
The canvass committee will submit a report of its findings on or before the Monday following the election. The report will show:
A. 
The number of ballots cast in the election;
B. 
The names of the persons voted for and the proposition voted upon;
C. 
The offices voted for;
D. 
The number of votes cast for each candidate and the number of votes cast for or against each proposition voted on at the election;
E. 
A proposed disposition of all challenged, absentee, write-in, and voided ballots; and
F. 
Other matters which the canvass committee may determine to be necessary.
(Code 1989 § 70-9; Ord. 92-07 § 3; Ord. 07-13 § 2; Ord. 18-17 § 2)
If no contest of election is begun after all early, mail, defective and questioned ballots are counted or rejected, the assembly shall:
A. 
Certify a report that shows:
1. 
The total number of ballots cast in the election;
2. 
The names of the persons voted for and the propositions voted upon;
3. 
The offices voted for;
4. 
The number of votes cast for each candidate and the number of votes cast for or against each proposition voted on at the election;
5. 
The number of votes cast for each write-in candidate that receives the most votes of the total number of votes cast for any particular office;
6. 
The disposition of all mail, questioned, and defective ballots; and
7. 
Any other matters which the assembly deems necessary to preserve a complete record of the election;
B. 
Record the results of the election in the minutes of the meeting;
C. 
Authorize the results to be certified;
D. 
Publicly declare the results of the election.
(Code 1989 § 70-10; Ord. 07-13 § 2; Ord. 18-17 § 2)
If a contest of election is declared and resolved, the procedures of DBC § 8.25.100 shall be followed at a special meeting held on or before the first Monday after resolution of the contest.
(Code 1989 § 70-11; Ord. 92-07 § 4; Ord. 07-13 § 2; Ord. 18-17 § 2)
Upon authorization of certification of the election results by the assembly, the clerk shall prepare two certificates of election for each office, proposition, or question considered. The certificates shall be signed by the mayor and attested by the clerk. One original of each certificate of election shall be given the successful candidate or the sponsor of the successful question or proposition named thereon, and the other original of each certificate shall be kept by the clerk.
(Code 1989 § 70-12; Ord. 91-11 § 12; Ord. 07-13 § 2; Ord. 18-17 § 2)
The clerk shall preserve all election certificates, tallies and registers for four years after the election. All ballots and stubs may be destroyed 30 days after the certification of the election unless an appeal of the election has been filed in the superior court in Fairbanks, in which case the ballots and stubs may be destroyed 30 days after conclusion of the appeal unless stayed by an order of the court.
(Code 1989 § 70-13; Ord. 07-13 § 2; Ord. 18-17 § 2)