00         SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 23(STA)                                                        
01 Advocating the retention of the electoral college system in its present form.                                           
02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
03       WHEREAS the founding fathers, through deliberation and compromise, devised the                                  
04 electoral college to answer the nation's need for an effective voting mechanism in the                                  
05 presidential selection process; and                                                                                     
06       WHEREAS the electoral college, as provided for in the Constitution of the United                                
07 States, provides for a proper system of checks and balances in the election of the president                            
08 and vice-president; and                                                                                                 
09       WHEREAS the electoral college prevents any one region of the nation from                                        
10 dominating a presidential election; and                                                                                 
11       WHEREAS Alaska represents one-fifth of the total land mass in the United States,                                
12 but has only approximately 480,000 registered voters and three electoral votes; and                                     
13       WHEREAS the electoral college is based upon republican principles which provide                                 
14 the foundation for this nation's constitutional system; and                                                             
15       WHEREAS any attempt to modify the current electoral college would jeopardize a                                  
16 secure system which has been effective for over two hundred years in providing for a peaceful                           

01 transition of presidential power; and                                                                                   
02       WHEREAS the electoral college brings a conclusion to the presidential election                                  
03 process;                                                                                                                
04       BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature advocates that no amendments                                   
05 or other modifications be made to the electoral college system and that the electoral college be                        
06 continued in its present form for all future presidential elections.                                                    
07       COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable George W. Bush, President                              
08 of the United States; the Honorable Colin Powell, United States Secretary of State; the                                 
09 Honorable John Ashcroft, Attorney General of the United States; the Honorable J. Dennis                                 
10 Hastert, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; the Honorable Trent Lott, Majority                               
11 Leader of the U.S. Senate; and to the Honorable Ted Stevens and the Honorable Frank                                     
12 Murkowski, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of                                  
13 the Alaska delegation in Congress.