Spectrum: Consider all implications of Prop B3

A group of Mat-Su residents is leading a drive to combine the Mat-Su Borough elections with the general election, held in November. Their stated goal of increasing voter turnout is extremely worthy and might well be achieved, at least on the even-numbered years when state and national elections occur. (Only the Borough holds elections yearly.) As someone who’s been a poll worker for 10 years, it’s frustrating and infuriating to watch voter apathy, which leads to total turn-outs of less than 20 percent, unless there’s something like the marijuana issue on the ballot.

But, as the saying goes: the devil’s in the details.

First, and most importantly, changes will have to be made in at least State statues. The Borough and State each has the responsibility and privilege of running its own elections. By law, the State cannot agree to run Mat-Su Borough elections for several reasons, not the least of which is they would then probably have to offer the same service to all boroughs in the state. The State Division of Elections does not have any authority to administer Borough law, including Borough election codes.

Anyone who votes in person knows “the black box” and the tan machine that sits in the top of it. The tan machine (Accu-vote) registers each ballot as it’s inserted; that completes the voting process. As you insert your ballot, you can see the counter change to add your ballot to the total voted in the precinct. No person can see the totals the machine accumulates for each candidate or issue as the day goes along. After the polls close, a tape of the overall precinct results is run and electronically transmitted to election central, so everyone can hear results precinct by precinct. (There’s no way anywhere in the process to know how any individual voted.) Then the poll workers must check to be sure the number of ballots cast matches the number of people who signed the register. That preserves the sanctity of our one voter/one vote system. Holding the elections on the same day will require the election officials to complete that whole process twice. Each tan machine can accumulate totals for only one election at a time. The current equipment cannot be programmed to tabulate two different elections with separate ballots. If the current equipment is to be used to tabulate both elections, ballots for the Borough election will need to be secured during the day and then processed through the Accu-vote after the State has finished and secured all their ballots. Poll officials already work at least a 15-hour stint on election day. It isn’t reasonable or prudent to require them to work several hours longer.

Then, there’s the issue of cost. There are 41 precincts in the Borough. All the tan machines and their protective cases, the power cords, the extension cords necessary at most voting places, and the black boxes belong to the State and are borrowed by the Borough for our election. Although some of those things might still be shared, purchasing the additional equipment the Borough would need has been estimated at more than $310,000. And the Borough would then have the financial burden of repairs, parts and replacements for its own equipment.

The ballots for each election are usually printed on 8.5” by 14.0” paper. That could be increased to a maximum of 8.5” by 17.0”. There still would not be room to list all the candidates, all the judges and all the issues on a single ballot. And, it may seem incredible, but voters are frequently confused now about the content of the ballot they’re handed; that would only increase. Anything that makes voting more difficult gives voters more excuses not to exercise their right and responsibility to vote.

In about half of the precincts, if elections are held on the same day, the Borough will have to find a separate place to set up the second voting station; because there isn’t space to seat the extra line. In those places, people could vote in the two elections on the same day, but they’d have to go to two places to do it. Even if a polling location is large enough and is willing to accommodate the extra line, there would have to be two sets of election officials. Security of the ballots has to be paramount. Registers, questioned ballots and regular ballots have to be kept separated to eliminate possibility of errors. Therefore, two sets of election officials will be required at each location. Currently, almost all the precinct workers cover both elections. Ask either office how easy recruiting another set would be!

Increasing voter turn-out ranks high among the most important issues of our day. Our democracy is built on the idea of peaceful change of government: a government that functions through the ballot box, rather than with strong-arm tactics. It’s easy to shrug off voting for many reasons. One of the more frequent excuses is “it doesn’t affect outcomes anyway.” There are at least 24 examples in Alaska alone where races/issues were decided by differences of less than 5% of votes cast and more than one decided literally by 1 vote. (Additionally, as a woman, I waffle between sadness and anger when, by not voting, women ignore the truly horrible abuse suffered by our 20th-century forbearers to secure the right for us to vote.) Outcomes are decided only by the will of those who do vote. So, if you don’t like the outcomes, vote. If you didn’t vote, don’t complain about the outcomes!

Please, as you vote in the October 2nd election, please consider all the implications of Proposition B-3.

Alice Holinger has been a resident of the Mat-Su Valley since 1979.