4.16.030 Election officials.
A. Before each election, the clerk shall determine the number of election officials required to serve. The clerk, subject to approval by the council, shall appoint a number of election officials necessary to conduct an orderly election, unless otherwise noted in this section.
1. “Precinct election officials” means the clerk shall appoint at least three election officials to constitute the election board for each precinct. At least one election official shall be a voter in the precinct for which he or she is appointed unless no voter is willing to serve. The clerk shall designate one election official in each precinct as the chairperson, who shall be primarily responsible for administering the election in that precinct. If the chairperson is unable to fulfill his or her duties, the other election officials shall perform the duties.
2. “Early voting officials” means the clerk shall appoint at least two election officials to conduct voting at early voting locations.
3. “Review board” means the clerk shall appoint at least two election officials to the review board. The review board is responsible for testing the vote tabulation system used in the election pursuant to WMC 4.28.050.
4. “Canvass board” means the clerk shall appoint at least three election officials as the canvass board. The canvass board is responsible for performing the duties provided in WMC 4.28.080 through 4.28.100.
5. “Counting teams” means the clerk shall appoint election officials to a counting team. A counting team shall consist of at least four election officials. The clerk may appoint more than one counting team. The counting team shall only be appointed as necessary for a hand count of ballots and may be appointed by the clerk without approval of the council to expedite the counting process.
B. Qualifications. All election officials shall be registered voters of the city, unless there is an insufficient number of city voters to conduct an orderly election. All election officials must be registered voters of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. There shall be no inquiry into an election official’s political party as a prerequisite to service. Unless excused by the clerk, all election officials shall attend a training session offered by the clerk or borough clerk.
C. Oath. Before serving as an election official, each election official must subscribe to an oath in a manner prescribed by the clerk.
D. Failure to Serve. If any election official fails or refuses to serve, the clerk or borough clerk shall appoint a person eligible under this section to serve in place of the absent official without approval of the council.
E. Familial Relationship to Candidate. No candidate shall serve as an election official. Certain familial relationships may not exist between a candidate and an election official in any election. Those familial relationships are:
1. Mother, mother-in-law, stepmother;
2. Father, father-in-law, stepfather;
3. Sister, sister-in-law, stepsister;
4. Brother, brother-in-law, stepbrother;
5. Spouse; or
6. Person sharing the same living quarters.
If the clerk knows or learns that any of these relationships exist, the election official shall be notified and replaced by the clerk. (Ord. 16-15 § 5, 2016; Ord. 12-20 § 14, 2012; Ord. 04-24(SUB) §§ 3, 4, 2004; Ord. 02-22 § 12, 2002; Ord. 01-16(SUB) § 3, 2001; prior code § 18.20.030)