State, Democratic Party clash on ballot application

MAT-SU -- Alaska Democratic Party officials are accusing Lt. Gov. Loren Leman of launching a well-timed political attack. The charge follows Leman's objections to absentee ballot applications sent out by the Democrats earlier this month.

"Lieutenant Governor Loren Leman and [Gov. Frank] Murkowski are trying to manipulate the process," Alaska Democratic Party Chairman Scott Sterling said during a press conference Monday. "They're trying to suppress voters … The lieutenant governor approved [the absentee ballot application] and three weeks before the election the governor changed his mind."

What's at issue is an absentee ballot application mailed out by the Alaska Democratic Party. The Democratic Party is not the only group to mail out applications for absentee ballots, but there are significant differences between its application and those sent out by other groups. The primary difference is that the return address on the postcard sends the ballot to the Democratic Party, not the Alaska Division of Elections.

Another difference is that the information requested, including a name, residence address, phone number, social security number or state identification number, birth date and signature, is not sealed or blocked from view.

Sterling said Division of Elections staff reviewed and approved the application Sept. 1. Leman, on Oct. 8, sent a letter to Democratic Party chair-elect Jake Metcalfe, asking him to "cease and desist" from soliciting and receiving applications for by-mail absentee ballots by a postcard.

At a Tuesday press conference, Division of Elections Director Laura Glaiser said she never approved a ballot from the Alaska Democratic Party. At the same press conference, Leman said he made two specific requests, two of which the party has said it will comply with. The first was that the party stop mailing out absentee ballot applications with the party's mailbox as the return address. The second was that a Division of Elections staffer accompany party members to pick up the mail, so the cards will be turned over directly and immediately to division staff.

The third request seeks to determine how long the postcards were with the Democratic Party, and what happened to them during that time. So far there has been no response to that request.

Sterling said it was the state administration's recent record of errors that led the party to place its own address as the return address for the ballot applications.

"We don't trust Loren Leman or the administration," Sterling said. "We believe in the process, and we believe the workers in the trenches can be trusted. [We wanted to] double check every ballot application sent out to make sure our supporters get to vote."

Sterling said the party had asked for additional information beyond what the Division of Elections requires in order to keep in touch with supporters.

Sterling also said information such as phone numbers requested on the ballot application will allow the party to call voters as election day approaches, and make sure they vote.

He said all of the applications received by party headquarters were forwarded to the Division of Elections.

Leman said he's concerned the party's ballot application will deter people from requesting absentee ballots, or that the delay of processing between the party headquarters and the state could mean ballot requests are delayed.

"If it gets there too late, then a voter could be disenfranchised," Leman said.

Democratic Party officials said the most curious aspect of what they said is a change of mind by state administrators about the party's ballot application is that the governor jumped into the fray.

Although it's not clear to whom the letter was sent, an Oct. 9 letter written on the governor's letterhead and bearing the state seal lists numerous concerns with the ballot application sent out by the Democratic Party.

"When the governor used his office to lead a campaign [against the application], he was jumping his command," said Senate Minority Leader Ethan Berkowitz, who also took part in the Monday teleconference.

Absentee ballots can be requested directly from the Alaska Division of Elections. Applications can be downloaded directly from the division Web site, at www.elections.state.ak.us. To request an application by phone, call the division at (907) 522-8683. Those who requested an absentee ballot and are curious about the status of their request can visit the Web site webapp.state.ak.us/elections/voterstatus.jsp, or call 1-866-465-8165.

Contact Rindi White at rindi.white@frontiersman.com.