Legislature(2001 - 2002)
02/01/2001 03:35 PM Senate STA
| Audio | Topic |
|---|
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
SENATE STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
February 1, 2001
3:35 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Gene Therriault, Chair
Senator Randy Phillips, Vice Chair
Senator Rick Halford
Senator Bettye Davis
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Drue Pearce
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
CS FOR SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 8(STA)
Relating to supporting polling places at military installations.
MOVED CSSJR 8(STA) OUT OF COMMITTEE
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION
No previous action
WITNESS REGISTER
Senator Loren Leman
State Capitol, Room 115
Juneau, AK 99801
POSITION STATEMENT: Bill sponsor
Shelly Growden, Election Supervisor
Region III Election Office
Fairbanks, AK 99701
POSITION STATEMENT: Supports the resolution
Carol Thompson, Election Supervisor
Region II Election Office
Anchorage, AK 99513
POSITION STATEMENT: Supports the resolution
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 01-2, SIDE A
Number 001
CHAIRMAN GENE THERRIAULT called the Senate State Affairs Committee
meeting to order at 3:35 p.m. Present were Senators Davis, Phillips
and Chairman Therriault. There was one item on the agenda, SJR 8.
There is a proposed committee substitute, version F.
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked Senator Leman to discuss the issue.
SENATOR LEMAN represents Elmendorf Air Force Base and parts of
northwest and east Anchorage in the Alaska Senate. SJR 8 deals with
a December 1999 directive from the Department of Defense (DoD)
advising military installation commanders not to allow their
installation facilities to be used for polling or voting sites. For
years military bases, posts, armories, and other base facilities
have been available to election officials for voting sites. This
has been a good situation since it provides men and women, living
on base, the opportunity to vote in their own neighborhoods just
like those who live off base. It is convenient and encourages
voting.
Number 246
SENATOR LEMAN said that Alaska state law "requires a polling place
to be located within a precinct, unless a more suitable or
convenient location to the voter is identified". The DoD directive
does neither. It moves the location outside the precinct because
military bases and posts are wholly contained precincts with only
people living on site voting there. In moving voting to off base
locations voting becomes less convenient.
There are two ways to remedy the impacts of the DoD:
1. Have DoD rescind the directive
2. Congressional intervention
SJR 8 does the first and Congress is working on a bill making it
legal to vote on military installations and leaving it to the
discretion of base or post commanders.
SENATOR LEMAN said that it was fortunate that the negative impact
of the DoD directive was temporarily avoided and did not
significantly affect polling places during the last election.
Senator Ted Stevens joined several other senators adding language
to an appropriations bill postponing the effective date of the DoD
directive until December 31, 2000.
That date has passed and it is unclear whether election officials
will be able to set up polling places for this year's municipal
elections. Military men and women should be allowed to exercise the
same right that they defend for each American, the right to vote.
Number 432
SENATOR LEMAN spoke briefly to the committee substitute. The
original bill language included reserve facilities such as
armories, and the Coast Guard. Reserve facilities are under the
direction of the state and therefore are not covered by the DoD
directive. The Coast Guard is under the Department of
Transportation and is not affected either. The resolution was made
more accurate by deleting reference to those facilities. Fort
Richardson, Fort Wainwright, Elmendorf Air Force Base, and Eielson
Air Force Base are the four Alaskan bases affected rather than the
12 places originally listed.
SENATOR LEMAN said that Shelly Growden, Region III Election
Supervisor, and Carol Thompson, Region II Election Supervisor were
online and ready to answer any questions.
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked Senator Leman to remain for possible
questions and moved to Shelly Growden in Fairbanks.
Number 544
MS SHELLY GROWDEN said she is very supportive of the resolution.
The 2001 municipal elections are of current concern. There is a low
voter turn out among military voters in local and state elections
during the best of times. Despite her best efforts, presidential
election years are the only times that turn out increases. If a
polling facility had to be found off base, transportation
difficulties, combined with the added inconvenience, would
adversely affect voter turn out. She would like a resolution of
this issue before the 2001 municipal elections so that military
members are afforded the same opportunity to vote in a convenient
polling location as the rest of the voters in Alaska.
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked whether Fort Wainwright was affected
similarly to Eielson Air Force Base.
Number 718
MS GROWDEN said that the difficulties would have been similar, but
that they had received information early enough to submit for
preclearance to move the polling place and notify the voters. The
base commander said that the polling place could be moved to the
state owned school on base from the post library, which worked very
well.
Number 764
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked if it was in 1994 that Moose Creek, a
small bedroom community adjacent to Eielson, had been separated
from the base polling station.
MS GROWDEN said yes, it was in 1994, that only voters registered on
Eielson vote there now.
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked for additional questions. Seeing none, he
moved to Carol Thompson asking her to outline how she would have
handled the elections had it not been for the congressional delay.
Number 810
MS CAROL THOMPSON said that Region II had less difficulty than
Region III. They had been asked to move the Elmendorf polling
location from the theatre to the school for reasons unrelated to
the DoD directive and, in fact, before it was issued. She heard
about the DoD directive after the changes had been made at Eielson
so she was not affected. However, she is concerned that military
personnel be able to vote on base. Transportation to off base
polling stations is difficult and inconvenient. This is
particularly true in Fort Richardson. She would like to see this
resolved by the municipal elections in April 2001.
SENATOR BETTYE DAVIS asked what would happen for the April
elections if this were not changed.
MS THOMPSON said that another location must be provided and that
she has contacted the Municipality of Anchorage and learned that
they are in the process of recruiting polling places. She has a
meeting with them to cover this issue again.
SENATOR DAVIS asked how many people vote in an election on
Elmendorf.
MS THOMPSON has the total number of registered voters but not the
turn out figures. She thought that between 800 and 1,000 people
voted during the last presidential election. There are usually less
than that at Fort Richardson.
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked Senator Leman whether the Congressional
Delegation anticipates a reversal of the directive or are they
going to have to revert to legislation.
SENATOR LEMAN said that Lt. General Norton Schwartz said that he
believes it prudent for Congress to take the action to direct DoD
in the matter. In the short term, Senator Leman believes that
voting on military bases will be allowed but that, for a long-term
solution, congressional action is probably best.
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT wanted the record to reflect that Senator
Halford arrived.
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked for proposed amendments.
SENATOR PHILLIPS moved that the committee substitute be adopted.
There were no objections.
SENATOR PHILLIPS moved that CS SJR 8 (STA) move from committee with
individual recommendations.
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked for objections. There were none. He then
announced the schedule for the following week.
CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT adjourned the meeting at 3:50 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|