Time short to register for Nov. election

This editorial first appeared in the Friday edition of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

November’s general election will showcase one of the broader slates of ballot measures in recent memory. In addition to high-profile races for U.S. Senate and governor that most of us have already heard plenty about, Alaskans will decide on whether to raise the state minimum wage, legalize marijuana or place restrictions on large-scale mining projects like the proposed Pebble Mine.

It’s a varied and exciting basket of topics to make your voice heard on, but there’s a catch — first you have to be a registered voter. And if you haven’t registered, the deadline for doing so is fast approaching.

State law requires that voters registering for the first time or changing their registration (whether altering their party affiliation, changing their address or updating other information) do so 30 days before the election in which they wish to vote.

That means that for the Nov. 4 general election, the last day to register will be Oct. 5, in one week. Even though that falls on a weekend, elections offices around the state will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 4 and also from noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 5, the day of the deadline itself.

There’s plenty of reason to vote in any election, but the issues before Alaskans this November are of particular importance. Ballot Measure 2 has been the most widely debated of the three measures — it would legalize marijuana possession and use in the state. The impacts of changing the drug’s status could be considerable from the perspectives of law enforcement, incarceration and economics (if marijuana were legalized, it would be subject to a significant tax by the state).

Ballot Measure 3 would not only raise the state minimum wage to an eventual $9.75, it would adjust yearly for inflation or to maintain a buffer between the state and federal minimum wage. Supporters say the increase would go far toward providing a “living wage” for those who currently have to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Opponents of the increase say it would result in businesses cutting hours or offering fewer jobs, driving up unemployment.

Ballot Measure 4 would bar the development of large-scale mines within the Bristol Bay watershed if it were found that the mines had the potential to endanger fish stocks. Supporters call the measure a common-sense law protecting Alaska’s second-biggest industry, while opponents say the law is so sweeping that it would ban even the safest and cleanest operations.

No matter your political stripes or level of interest in government, it’s hard to believe that these issues don’t touch you or the ones you love. If you haven’t registered, now is the time.

Making your voice heard on these issues and selecting good candidates to represent you in the Legislature is vital to Alaska’s continued success as a state. And don’t forget the nicest little perk of the voting booth: the Alaska flag “I Voted” sticker that will make you the envy of your friends and neighbors. Fashions come and fashions go, but being civic-minded is always in season.