LETTER: For privacy’s sake, vote ‘no’ on Prop 1

To the editor:

The Alaska Constitution had a strong privacy clause, based on fears of the 1950s McCarthy era wiretapping.

The Raven decision strengthened this privacy clause in the 1970s. Unfortunately, the PFD/voter registration ballot Proposition 1 would weaken that clause. Along with legislation passed in 2015 the voter information is no longer as secure as before.

Prior to last year’s legislation, only the Division of Elections had access to voter registration information. However, in 2015 the legislature passed a law allowing the voter information to be shared with 17 other states, transmitted electronically and stored out of state. The state also sole sourced out a $600,000+ contract to Lexxis, Nexxis to check PFD applications.We all should be very concerned with hacking of information from government databases. Is there any Alaskan who has NOT received a notice from a bank, employer, health insurance firm, government agency that their private information has been breached? This ballot initiative should set off alarm bells because once again the government will have another database that can be breached. It’s just a matter of time.

Fortunately, under current system only people who seek to get a voter registration card, driver’s license or state ID are at risk of identity theft. If this ballot proposition passes, then all other PFD eligible Alaskans will also be at risk of identity theft because the Permanent Fund applicant database will be required to be cross checked against the vote registration database. Your Social Security number, dropped from AK drivers licenses, due to security concerns, is required to apply for a PFD.

Remember, all your personal information will be required to be stored Outside at the Electronic Registration Information Center, and also with Lexxis/Nexxis, it will be a more attractive target of hackers.If this passes, keep an eye on your mailbox for that future letter telling you ! that your identity has been stolen.Defend the Alaska Constitution and your privacy.

Vote No on 1.

—David Nees

Anchorage