Caucus denies vote to those earning it

Recently the voters in Alaska attended a caucus to select their party’s presidential candidate. I experienced a terribly offensive flaw in the caucus system. I want to share this information with readers because I believe this flaw is the reason Alaska should have a primary election and not a caucus.

My husband is deployed. The Alaska Army National Guard did a wonderful job providing us with information preparing for this deployment. They stress the need for a power of attorney (POA). In the time my husband has been deployed I have used this document a hundred times.

The Alaska Army National Guard explained that we may choose to write more than one POA depending on what our needs were and they made available plenty of discussion and samples. My husband and I choose to have our personal attorney draft our documents to meet our needs.

On caucus day I took my husband’s voter registration card, military orders and our POA and expected to cast his vote acting as his agent in his absence. What I learned was that the caucus system does not provide for the deployed military to participate. A primary election would provide for an absentee ballot and a soldier serving the United States of America would have his/her voice heard.

I was offended even more deeply when the leader of the Republican Party spoke to KTUU reporters and stated that he did not support a primary election process due to the cost involved. The Alaska public knows that every soldier serving is placing their country before self. I believe they have paid the fee for a primary election, don’t you?

If you are a registered voter in Alaska, please let Lt. Governor Parnell, the Division of Elections and your party leadership know that you prefer a primary system allowing all Alaskans to vote. If you are not a registered voter, please register and vote. To those of you who did cast a caucus vote, thank you.

Diana L. Straub

Wasilla