State senator proposes online voting for co-ops

WASILLA — It might not come quick enough for this year’s balloting, but one of the Valley’s two state senators hopes that someday soon you’ll be able to vote online in co-op elections.

Sen. Linda Menard, R-Wasilla, said Friday by phone from Juneau that she has decided to sponsor the bill after talking to co-operatives in the Valley — Matanuska Electric Association and Matanuska Telephone Association — and around the state.

“I’m the sponsor of the bill, and it came about from the urging of these co-ops. They can still vote by mail. They can still vote in person. But they have the option to go online,” Menard said.

She said that ensuring the vote’s security will fall to the contractor the co-op hires to run the online polling.

Right now, co-ops generally vote in two ways: in person or through the mail. MEA, for example, is heading into its 2010 election season and will shortly be mailing ballots to its members. Those who choose to vote in person will have to attend the co-op’s annual meeting, scheduled this year for April. MTA has a similar system.

“I really feel the method that we’re using now is good, by a postal service or by voting in person, but it’s outdated. I think it’s starting to have a negative impact on participation in voting,” Menard said.

The co-ops, she said, have told her that participation in elections is down and that voting via the Web might help change that. She also pointed out that the bill would help senior citizens, a lot of whom have computers and might find it more convenient to vote online.

She said the bill contains a “zero fiscal note,” which is legislator-speak for “it isn’t going to cost the state anything.”

As for when the bill might become law, Menard said it probably won’t be done in time to have an impact on MEA’s pending election. She said it has cleared the Senate State Affairs Committee, which she chairs, and the Senate Judiciary Committee, and is heading for the floor for a vote.

After that, the governor has to sign it. If he signed the bill tomorrow, she said, as far as she knows it would only be the second bill to be signed into law coming out of this legislative session.

Menard’s legislative aide, Michael Rovito, said that as of now the conversation has only been about co-op elections. There has been no talk that he’s aware of about applying the electronic voting idea to larger elections.

Speaking of the MEA election, so far it looks like the three incumbents in the race each has a challenger. Larry DeVilbiss, who holds the Palmer or Matanuska District seat will square off against Bill Tull. Katie Hurley, who holds the Wasilla or Susitna District seat, will face challenger Bob Doyle.

And David Glines, who holds the Eagle River seat and was until recently unopposed, picked up a challenger in perennial board candidate Tom Staudenmaier, who called the Frontiersman Thursday to announce he’d been approved for inclusion on the ballot. For a more detailed rundown of the race, check the Frontiersman later this week.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.