As we gear up for the Oct. 5 Kenai Peninsula Borough and city elections, which are seven weeks away, Kenai Peninsula Votes will be writing voting tidbits to help you prepare. We will talk about voter information in general, the different ways to cast your vote, and what resources you can access to help you know what is on your ballot.

Before all that happens, you might want to check your current voter registration status. To do this, go to myvoterinformation.alaska.gov. If you need to register to vote or update anything, go to the Alaska Division of Elections website: voterregistration.alaska.gov. You can register online or print out the application to be returned to them. You can also change anything on your current registration. If you would rather call them, their number is 907-465-4611. The last day to vote in the Oct. 5 election is Sept. 5.

There are several different methods of casting your ballot. This week we will focus on absentee voting. We saw an increase in the use of absentee voting in the 2020 borough election. Absentee voting is safe and secure and allows you time to research what is on the ballot.

You can request your absentee ballot by going to the Kenai Peninsula Borough elections website: https://my.kpb.us/vote. Once you request your ballot, it will be mailed to you no later than two weeks prior to the election. Any registered voter can apply for an absentee ballot. The period to get your absentee ballot application began Jan. 1. The last day to request it is Sept. 28.

It’s important to remember that absentee ballots get counted after the polls close, but WILL be counted by the date the election is certified. If you get an absentee ballot, and decide not to use it, just destroy it and use another method to vote.

Next week we will talk about the other ways you can cast your ballot for the Oct. 5 election. Remember all votes matter and all voices need to be heard.

Alex Koplin is a founding member of Kenai Peninsula Votes.