Rallying at the polls

"When I was working over at the Colony House Museum, I found a 1943 music sheet with lettering on the front saying, 'Paper shortage getting worse; here is where we start the verse.'

And then I found a cardboard pin cushion with a note that said, 'Be careful not to throw away the pin.'

When I was growing up in Palmer, during the years of World War II, we used to have a pile over there (pointing toward the library) where we put our tires, and there was a place where we put our tin cans. We had a victory garden at the end of the war. It was a way of life to save everything, to play your part.

This is what voting means to me. It's the responsibility of each citizen to take care of the community, to participate in the decision making. It is our best chance for good judgment."

-- Gerry Keeling,

daughter of Matanuska Colonists, and election official

Voters made their way to cast absentee ballots at the Mat-Su Borough Building this week, several days before the primary.

They were the first ones to contend with receiving one of six voting ballots in the state's new procedure.

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," one voter said as he left the building. On the lapel of his gray sweater he wore an "I voted today" sticker in blue and white. "I did prefer the old way of being able to mix up my candidates without worrying about which party they belonged to. I've never really been a party person."

Gerry Keeling, absentee election official, smiled as she greeted each voter. She handed them the envelope to fill out names and addresses, and directed them to the voting booth. The ones filtering in seemed well-informed and quiet. Most did not need the process of selecting a ballot explained to them.

On each voter's registration card, a letter indicates which party ballot they get.

"So far, we've had 80 voters this week. That's not that many, but then, I think the rain might have something to do with it," Keeling said Wednesday. "I can tell you that no one has been lathered about the new ballots, but several have commented on it, wishing it weren't this way."

A yellow sheet of paper on the precinct table explains that the U.S. Supreme Court made a change in Alaska's voting laws necessary, a law enacted the last session. An orange sheet of paper on the table explains that ballots for the following parties are determined by affiliation with one of six political parties: Democrat, Libertarian, Independence, Green, Republican Moderates or Republican Party.

"Most Alaska voters are not affiliated with a political party," said Scott Sterling, director of the Alaska Democratic Party in the Mat-Su Valley, which opposed the closed primary method. "That means they want to have the ability in the primary to pick and choose a candidate. It's the candidate and not the party."

At Cottonwood Creek, election officials had about 20 voters or more per day filter in during the week. Marva DenBleyker said most were middle-aged or seniors, but several were returning college students who wanted to vote before heading back to school.

One man came to cast his vote, then declined to because of the new ballot system. His protest was duly noted by the election official in a note to the Division of Elections, DenBleyker said. Another person was upset because he didn't want to vote the ballot of the party designated on his voter registration card.

"We let him have the ballot he wanted, but told him his vote probably wouldn't count," DenBleyker said.

Voters can change their party affiliation at the Mat-Su Borough clerk's office, but the change won't be in effect in time to vote the primary, officials say. "It will help in next year's primary," DenBleyker said.

Keeling, involved 25 years as a voting official, said she hopes people will not be daunted by the new system. "I'm happy with the process, because to me, the most important thing is that everyone participates. It is only by voting that our collective wisdom is

expressed, in one way or another."

"I think if you don't vote, you are not doing your part. It's part of living in a democracy. On Aug. 27, for the first time, I get to be a part of something that has intrigued me for a while. I don't understand why someone wouldn't vote. It doesn't take very much time.

Before you vote, you do have to read the information and get both sides, read all the newspapers and think for yourself. A lot of people my age say they are not interested. They have a lot going on in their lives, working and going to college. Some of my friends feel they don't have time to gather information and go vote. (In voter registration drives) you can talk to people all you want but if they are not willing to be involved in the process, there's not much you can do. You can't force people to vote.

It would be interesting to know if you looked at past generations if it was the same as now, if there was a higher voter turnout than now or what in my age group. It might be common. Where people had to figure out what they were doing with their lives before they started getting involved."

-- Chris Bailey, class of 2002, Burchell High School

The 2002 election season is likely to be remembered as the year of getting used to the new primary system, though the general election offers the old familiar process of voting. There, Alaskans can return to perusing between Democrats and Republicans, Green Party candidates or

Independents.

Especially in the Valley, with so many new faces in the contest, it should prove a good year to see voters turn out in record numbers to cast approval on any number of old and new candidates. For sure, it's a Republican-dominated slate, in keeping with the more than 13,000 registered Valley Republicans.

"Voter turnout should be good when there are actual contests that mean something," said Randy Reudrich, chairman of the Alaska Republican Party. The years when voter turnout is low are generally years when the big decisions are already decided, he said, years when it's one ho-hum candidate against a sure winner.

The Mat-Su Borough lists 42,176 registered voters. Primaries generally attract roughly 29 percent of them, which is just half the amount who vote in general elections.

Twenty candidates are running for the five House seats that cover the Valley, making it one of the most competitive races in the state in years.

The race for the Wasilla seat, House District 14, includes Alaska Independence Party candidate, Marci Schmit; Republican Vic Kohring, and non-partisans, Linda Anderson and Peter Burchell. Republican and former assembly member Doyle Holmes threw his hat into the ring for House District 15, covering the Valley from Meadow Lakes north. Beverly Masek, Republican, and Democrat Kay Bills, along with John Pinard of the Alaska Independence Party, also vie for the seat.

Longtime aide to Sen. Rick Halford, Bill Stoltze of Chugiak, is running on the Republican ticket for House District 16, which covers Lazy Mountain, the Butte, Knik River, Chugiak and Peters Creek. He is running against the Alaska Independence Party's Larry Wood. Republican Sen. Lyda Green, opposed by Democrat James Della Silva, and Rep. Scott Ogan, hoping to switch from the House to the Senate, will be races to watch. Joe Caswell, also a Republican, is up against Ogan.

Then there's the new Palmer seat. That's up for grabs by political hopefuls non-partisan Jim Colver, and Democrat James Milne; Robert Shumaker, of the Alaska Independence Party, and four Republicans: Randy Lorenz, Nancy Campbell, Jim Turner and Carl Gatto.

"I think we should exercise every opportunity to vote. I respect the fact that some vote differently than me.

My parents were Norwegians who came to Alaska separately and met in Juneau, Olif and Gyda Torkelsen. I was raised in Juneau and lived there 40 years before moving here. I was always around politics. Even when we were in school, we were visited when the legislature was in session.

It was through my father that I got involved. He never ran for office, but he was always talking about the importance of contributing to your community. He died when I was 14, yet I also remember my mother and her friends talking about elections and getting involved.

It was exciting to take part in the statehood fight. And I had 12 years as a clerk for Territorial Gov. Ernest Gruening, which gave me a ring-side seat to everything."

-- Katie Hurley, the first woman to run on a partisan ticket for lieutenant governor, with gubernatorial candidate Chancy Croft in 1978. She served in the Legislature in 1985-86.

2002 may also be known as the election season of the woman candidate because of the number of women running for public office throughout the state, and due to Ulmer's gubernatorial race. In the nation, 19 states saw women running for their top jobs, touted as a record number in the national media.

Ulmer spokesman Jason Moore said there are no preliminary numbers indicating how Valley voters will turn out in voting for Ulmer. An unofficial Wasilla Public Opinion Research Survey completed by Hellenthal and Associates counted 34 percent of the Valley population as registered Republicans. Yet, 9.4 percent were registered Democrats and 55 percent held no party affiliation or called themselves Independents.

Ulmer said it's not surprising to see a record number of states entertaining women candidates for governor. "More and more women who have been running for public office are now in a position to take the next step," she said. "When I was serving as lieutenant governor, I was surprised to see that almost half of the people I encountered in state governments were women. Women attorney generals, female senators and representatives. We have seen over the past decade that more women are entering those positions that would give them experience and exposure to take the next step to run for governor."

Katie Hurley, the first woman in the state to run for lieutenant governor, paired with gubernatorial candidate Chancy Croft in 1978,

predicts an Ulmer victory.

"I think we're going to see a woman governor this year," Hurley said. "I believe we're going to elect her. She's the most qualified, has the most experience. And she's not afraid to speak out for what she believes. I believe we've gotten over the fact that it's unusual to see a woman in office."

Republicans are betting Wayne Anthony Ross will make a strong showing in the primary, with U.S. Sen. Frank Murkowski at the lead, but that Murkowski is likely to take the governor's house in November's general election, said Randy Reudrich, head of the Alaska Republican party.

"Ross' campaign is not as well funded as Murkowski's but both got their message to voters. Ross will make a strong showing in the primary. I do expect Murkowski to win the Republican nomination," Reudrich said. "Right now we're talking about the primaries, but we believe Murkowski will do well in the general election."

At the moment, no one is speaking openly about what might happen to Murkowski's U.S. Senate seat if he does win. "There are many qualified Alaskans who might qualify for Murkowski's seat. Those are things to be decided in the future. It's premature at best to try to figure it out now when the first thing is winning an election in November," Reudrich said.

"I can't wait to vote. I'm 17, and the manager of this store, (Bruce's in the Cottonwood Mall.) I pay taxes, yet I can have no say in how my money is spent.

Those were my friends involved in the demonstration a few weeks back at the Valley Hotel, where the Vietnam vet hit my friend in the face for wearing that patch. Granted, I don't agree with what it [the patch] said, but it is his right to wear it.

The police were completely biased against the younger person in that situation. If it had been reversed, if the kid had hit the vet, the police would have made an arrest. We were the ones banned from the cafŽ [at the hotel.]

My band played in Rock the Vote. It's not like I don't care about what happens just because of my age. Maybe I'll even run for office someday. I can't wait to vote."

-- Ben Davenport, senior at Colony High

Where are the young voters is a frequent question in modern life, as the national and local experts bandy theories about Generation X or Generation Y, or the Millenniums. The fact remains, 18-30 year olds are not making much dent in the polls locally or nationally, pundits say.

Sterling said in order to remedy that, you have to figure out how to get a message to young people. "You have to try to attract young people in campaigns. You have to speak to young people about what is really of concern to them. If what they see in politics is big money and insider-dominated rules, they won't want to be drawn in."

Democrats are recruiting young people through school programs and into specific campaigns, Sterling said. Democrats in the past, during the Babyboomer era, especially attracted young people. But the party lost ground in attracting new numbers during the 1980s New Right era, and are still rebounding and trying new ways to reach young people. The Green Party, for instance, has attracted a lot of the young people who are disenfranchised about current political choices, Sterling said.

"The Democratic party is the one that says it understands the ideals of the political world, but it also recognizes and realizes we live in a world that without economic development and jobs for people, there isn't much chance for change if you don't enter into the process," Sterling said.

The other issue affecting young people is that Alaska is losing them to Outside for education, jobs and opportunities. The Republican party seized that as an issue to criticize Gov. Tony Knowles and Ulmer, and Murkowski was quick to grab it as a campaign issue.

"Jobs for young people are critical for Alaska's economy and for young people," Reudrich said. "They need resource-industry jobs that are good paying jobs as opposed to service-industry jobs. The decrease in young people in the state has been devastating on our economy. Young people are our long-term future."

Republicans also have tried to attract young voters into their campaigns and causes. "We have party leadership participate in youth programs on campuses and in making presentations to high school government classes. The campaigns have recruited young people to participate and mobilized their friends and colleagues. The biggest young people issue is the opportunity to have a job and stay in Alaska. Our party message from virtually every candidate is that point."

"I voted at 18, in the first election I could. I try to vote for the people I consider the most honest and forthcoming, rather than according to what party they belong to.

My daughter is 28 and my boy 17. I don't think there are a lot of good jobs for young people. It's a shame we have self-service gasoline stations and so much voice mail. This robs young people of good jobs. I think our technologies are robbing kids of hands-on experiences and positions. We should also pay young people better than minumum wages.

It's also harder to get our young people into college because of the high cost of tuition. Yet, there isn't enough going on here to keep kids here. They keep doing the same things and don't get a chance to grow.

These are the issues I look at when I vote."

-- Deb Alsterberg, Wasilla

resident