Other states could learn from Alaska

The 2000 presidential election has focused unprecedented attention on the way election systems are run. Since the election, I've heard comments about this from many Alaskans because one of my responsibilities is to oversee the Division of Elections.

While some folks have simply expressed amazement at the drama surrounding the situation in Florida, many have asked if Alaska's election system could survive the scrutiny Florida's county election system has experienced. The clear answer is yes. Alaska's election system works well.

No election system is perfect, no matter how close to the technological cutting edge it is, how easy it is to use, or how well-trained the professionals are who are running it. More than 287,000 Alaskans voted in the 2000 general election and more than 2,500 people worked in 451 polling places all over Alaska.

Trying to get that many people to do the same thing in the same way would be a challenge no matter what the task. But our elections went smoothly for several reasons:

1. Alaska has a centralized system which results in uniformity and accountability. In Florida, each of the 67 counties conducts their own elections. In Alaska, the Division of Elections has the authority to ensure uniform elections procedures, ballots and equipment for all state and national elections, statewide. This is rare, as most states are like Florida, with a patchwork quilt of different ballots, different rules and different systems in each county.

2. Alaska has gone beyond punch cards! In 1998, I asked the Legislature to find a new vote counting system called Accu-Vote, which uses optical scanning technology. The Legislature agreed and we implemented this system statewide, although in the smallest precincts, election workers still count the ballots manually.

Yes, sometimes one of our Accu-Vote machines will jam or experience difficulty transmitting results. When that happens, our elections staff and precinct workers follow proper procedures and solve the problem. We test every machine before every election. We review the performance of the machines after every election.

Using the Accu-Vote machines also avoids the problem encountered in Palm Beach county where thousands of voters accidentally voted twice in the same race and their ballots weren't counted. If an Alaska voter accidentally double votes in a single race, the ballot is instantly rejected by the Accu-Vote machine and the voter can ask for a new ballot.

However, whether in Florida or in Alaska, it is important for the voter to follow instructions about how to fill out the ballot. Fill in the oval completely. Don't use check marks. Don't use Xs. Voters who fail to completely fill in the ovals run the risk that the machines won't be able to read and record their votes.

When we have close races here that result in recounts, we do indeed find "marginally marked" ballots that the machine can't read. If the director of Elections is able to determine the voter's clear intent, then the votes are counted.

3. Alaska's Division of Elections staff is experienced, professional and committed to running the best possible election system. Accuracy, integrity, efficiency, and voter convenience are our priorities. The men and women at the division, as well as the many volunteers who help us run the statewide elections, are a valuable part of the system. They do an important job and they deserve our thanks.

When I took office in 1994, I created an elections transition team of municipal clerks, former elections officials and others knowledgeable about elections in Alaska. The team made many recommendations which we have implemented, concluding statutory changes to depoliticize the division. The Legislature made those changes, as requested. The law protects employees from political influence, assuring more public credibility than in some states.

America will soon move beyond these events and historians will write the story of the 2000 election. To me, the most important lesson of these past few weeks is one that the Division of Elections and I have known for a long time: the health of our democracy depends on the reliability and trustworthiness of our election procedures, technology and laws.

Equipment, ballot design, rules and procedures that govern ballot handling and counting can dramatically affect the results of an election. A very close race in a single state can determine the presidency and the course of our country. And, as we have all learned from Florida, every vote counts!

Fran Ulmer is Alaska's lieutenant governor.