Kenai appears poised to move regular city elections from October to November after a special election Tuesday.
Preliminary results show the two ballot propositions put before voters passed with more than 80% support. The results, though not the outcome, of the special election could change when 88 absentee and question ballots are counted. The results will become official when certified by the Kenai City Council, scheduled for early May 6.
The first proposition amends the city charter to bump Kenai’s regular election day back a month, from the first Tuesday in October to the first Tuesday in November. Of the 189 votes cast, 89.4% supported the change.
Proposition 1
Kenai No. 1 | Kenai No. 2 | Kenai No. 3 | All | ||
| Yes | 71 | 55 | 43 | 169 | 89.4% |
| No | 9 | 3 | 8 | 20 | 10.6% |
The second Kenai proposition reschedules the city’s upcoming regular election from October to November. And it gives the city council the authority to set future election dates. Of the 188 votes cast, 80.3% supported the change.
Proposition 2
Kenai No. 1 | Kenai No. 2 | Kenai No. 3 | All | ||
| Yes | 61 | 50 | 40 | 151 | 80.3% |
| No | 19 | 8 | 10 | 37 | 19.7% |
If Kenai’s preliminary results hold, the city will become the latest government entity to align local and state elections. Tuesday’s election came less than a year after a majority of all Kenai Peninsula voters approved the same change for borough elections. Soldotna followed soon after.
Supporters hope the move will boost turnout in local elections. Turnout in local races is historically higher during federal election years.
During a meeting last year, Kenai’s top election official told the council keeping the city and borough election dates aligned would save the city more than $20,000 per election. That’s because it costs the city about three times as much to run an election alone than when it partners with the Kenai Peninsula Borough.
