Election set for Jan. 15, Reapportionment ballot language shortened

MAT-SU -- In just three weeks, Mat-Su Borough voters will be asked to confirm or deny the plan adopted by the borough assembly to divide the borough into seven areas of assembly representation.

In a unanimous decision made last week by the borough assembly, voters will not see the full and lengthy legal description of each new borough boundary on the ballot. Instead, the legal description of the boundaries, as well as maps accurately depicting the new boundaries, will be on display at the polling places for voters to examine before stepping into the voting booths Jan. 15.

Until last week, borough code required that the legal description be included on the ballot. When Global Election Systems, the company that programs the borough's Accu-Vote machines for the elections, attempted to draw up the ballots, company staff found that the legal descriptions were simply too long to fit on the ballot.

"I feel you would have to use a 3 to 4 page ballot," wrote GES staff member Donald Biszmaier in a Nov. 21 letter to Borough Clerk Sandra Dillon. "I do not recommend any ballot of more than one page as it becomes a problem to keep count of the number of ballots actually voted since the unit would count each page that passes through it."

Biszmaier listed several other reasons why it may not be the best idea to put the legal descriptions on the ballot, including that many people decide not to vote on an issue, rather than read the lengthy and, possibly difficult to understand legal descriptions that accompany it.

Dillon, in an informational memorandum presented to the assembly last week, instead proposed that the borough ordinance be changed to eliminate the requirement that the legal descriptions be placed on the ballot.

The legal description and maps will also be available on the borough's Web page, at www.co.mat-su.ak.us.

Dillon is now finalizing preparations for the election.

"We sent out a letter to everyone who absentee voted in any form," Dillon said. More than twice the number of people who absentee voted in the previous election have already indicated they would like a ballot, Dillon said.

Ballots, along with a map and a legal description of the proposed borough assembly district changes, will go out to absentee voters on Dec. 26. Mailed ballots can be requested by calling the clerk's office at 745-9683, or by requesting one at the borough Web page.

"I encourage people to use that method if it's more convenient for them," Dillon said.

Voters will also be able to vote early if they stop by Cottonwood Creek Mall or the borough building, where polling places will be open from Dec. 31 to Jan. 14.