The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly passed an ordinance for introduction with a hearing scheduled on April 20, 2021 that would appropriate funds and authorized the Borough Clerk to contract for necessary voting machines, software, and related equipment to provide an accessible voting system for people with disabilities.
Assemblyman Tyson Cox, “This is to purchase seven voting units that can handle folks with disabilities. It has special equipment that makes sure everyone can vote on those. We’re looking at purchasing seven of the units, just over $100,000. Then also, 26 will be rented and they will be on a lease agreement and that will come to right at just under $150,000 for the leased 26 units. This was due to a complaint from 2015 that was filed with the State Commission for Human Rights.”
The complaint was filed following the October 6, 2015 borough election alleging discrimination on the basis of a physical disability due to the borough allegedly not accommodating the complainant’s vision disability by providing an accessible voting machine. The borough entered into the conciliation agreement on December 18, 2018. As part of the agreement, the borough committed to adopting a voting system to provide private, independent voting by visually impaired individuals. According to supporting documents, the ADA compliant voting equipment must be provided at every polling precinct or location in the borough where voting occurs.
On February 9, 2021, the Alaska State Commission for Human Rights approved an amendment to the conciliation agreement to provide the borough more time to acquire the voting equipment in order to comply with the terms of the agreement. The Kenai Peninsula Borough states that only two companies that are certified under the Election Assistance Commission responded to the request for votes. They include Election Systems & Software and Dominion Voting Systems. The Borough chose Dominion following the vetting process.
Because the ordinance for introduction passed through the consent agenda, a formal hearing will be held at the April 20th Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly meeting.