New assembly members sworn in

PALMER — Tim Hale and Stephanie Nowers were sworn in as members of the Mat-Su Borough Assembly on Tuesday at a special meeting to certify the Nov. 5 election. Members of the canvass board were recognized with a standing ovation for their work in counting ballots to insure accuracy of the vote count.

“It is our goal as a canvass board to be accurate and correct while processing voters ballots,” Shirley Mills said.

Mills gave the assembly a breakdown of the irregularities and processes of the canvass board. A total of 10.31 percent of registered voters turned out to vote, and 4,231 ballots were cast on election day of the 47,323 registered voters within the precincts holding elections. The canvass board did not count 88 of the 738 absentee, questioned and special needs ballots processed. Mills said that no count ballots either lacked signatures, witnesses, were cast by voters not yet registered in the Mat-Su borough or were cast by voters whose precincts were closed and chose to go to another precinct to cast their ballot. One voter realized they had cast a questioned ballot at the incorrect precinct and cast another ballot at the correct precinct. That vote was not counted as no voter is allowed to cast two ballots. Two ballots were put in incorrect boxes, causing the accu-vote count to be off by one ballot and triggering a hand recount of the ballots.

“It is important to mention that none of the instances we found could’ve change the results of this election,” Mills said.

After Mills reported the work of the canvass board to the assembly, Hale and Nowers each took the oath of office. Both of their terms will begin on Nov. 25.

“Now the real work begins,” Mayor Vern Halter said.