00CS FOR SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 40(RLS)                                                                            
01 Proposing amendments to the Constitution of the State of Alaska providing that                                          
02 the governor and lieutenant governor be elected by a majority vote; and changing                                        
03 the term of office of the governor and lieutenant governor.                                                             
04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                              
05    * Section 1.  Article III, sec. 3, Constitution of the State of Alaska, is amended to read:                        
06  Section 3.  Election.  The governor shall be chosen by the qualified voters of                                      
07 the State at a general election.  The candidate receiving  at least 50 percent plus one                                
08 of the votes cast for the office  [THE GREATEST NUMBER OF VOTES] shall be                                              
09 governor.   If no candidate receives at least 50 percent plus one of the votes cast                                    
10 at the general election, a runoff election between the two candidates receiving the                                     
11 greatest number of votes shall be held, as prescribed by law.                                                          
12    * Sec. 2.  Article III, sec. 4, Constitution of the State of Alaska, is amended to read:                           
13  Section 4.  Term of Office.  The term of office of the governor is four years,                                      
14 beginning at noon on the  third Monday in February  [FIRST MONDAY IN                                                  

01 DECEMBER] following his election and ending at noon on the  third Monday in                                            
02 February  [FIRST MONDAY IN DECEMBER] four years later.                                                                 
03    * Sec. 3.  Article III, sec. 8, Constitution of the State of Alaska, is amended to read:                           
04  Section 8.  Same - Election.  The lieutenant governor shall be nominated in                                       
05 the manner provided by law for nominating candidates for other elective offices.  In                                    
06 the general election  and any runoff election,  the votes cast for a candidate for                                    
07 governor shall be considered as cast also for the candidate for lieutenant governor                                     
08 running jointly with  the candidate for governor  [HIM].  The candidate whose name                                    
09 appears on the ballot jointly with that of the successful candidate for governor shall                                  
10 be elected lieutenant governor.                                                                                         
11    * Sec. 4.  The amendments proposed by this resolution shall be placed before the voters of                         
12 the state at the next general election in conformity with art. XIII, sec. 1, Constitution of the                        
13 State of Alaska, and the election laws of the state.