 "Don't Allow Anger To Cancel Your Vote," Ulmer says August 07, 2002
"Despite the unpopular new primary law, I want to assure voters that our dedicated professional election workers are doing everything they can to guarantee that Alaska's reputation for having one of the best balloting systems in the nation will continue on August 27th," Ulmer said. "The unpopular new primary law was not of their making, but Alaska's election workers are doing their best to make it work smoothly." The closed primary, approved by the Legislature in 2001, requires voters on August 27th to use ballots listing candidates from only one party. If they are registered to that party, voters must use that party's ballot. Non-partisan or independent voters can choose any one of the six ballots available, but they will not be able to cross party lines to vote for any candidate of their choice as they have done in most elections since statehood. "I recommended against this change, as did a bipartisan election task force, but the new closed primary law was enacted anyway. Until the election law can be changed by the legislature or by initiative, we have no choice but to make it work as well as possible," Ulmer said. "I hope Alaskans don't allow their anger over this change to cancel their votes." Ulmer said the new law resulted in an unprecedented number of ballots being printed for the primary election. More than 600,000 ballots have been distributed to the four main Division of Election offices for use on election day in the state's 446 precincts. Ulmer praised the Division's professionalism. "For the first time the state was able to contract with an Alaska print shop to produce the ballots for the primary. I would like to congratulate the Division of Elections for making that decision to do this vital work in state," Ulmer said. A comprehensive voter guide, detailing candidates and an initiative that qualified for the primary ballot, was mailed statewide in July. The guide was the first ever published for a primary election in Alaska. Newspaper and radio advertisements highlighting the changes in the primary system and the state's new legislative districts will begin next week. In addition, the estimated 3,000 workers who will staff and support precinct polling places around Alaska on August 27th have undergone training and will get a modest hourly pay increase, the first in some two decades. A report released Monday by the Division of Elections reveals that 453,248 eligible voters are registered for the primary election, up about 4,000 from the month before. In April, the division purged the names of about 19,000 inactive voters from the statewide list. "I'm pleased to see that there was a last-minute rush to register for the primary election," Ulmer said. "I hope that we get a healthy turnout of voters, despite the unpopular ballot changes instituted by the Legislature." With the primary just three weeks away, work has already started on preparations for the general election on Nov. 5. And the division is looking towards future improvements. Ulmer said she remained optimistic that special voting technology for visually impaired Alaskans could be acquired before the 2004 election. Money for the purchase of voting machines for use by the visually impaired in each precinct was denied by the Legislature when it adjourned in May. But federal dollars may be available next year. "Alaskans view the secrecy of the ballot booth as a basic right," Ulmer said. "Thousands of Alaskans who are visually impaired deserve the same right. The technology exists to allow voting without the aid of a sighted person. I hope this is the last election year Alaska does not have that technology."
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