Legislature(2001 - 2002)
02/22/2001 08:02 AM House STA
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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SJR 8 - VOTING SITES AT MILITARY INSTALLATIONS Number 0099 CHAIR COGHILL announced the first order of business as CS FOR SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 8(STA), Relating to supporting polling places at military installations. Number 0215 SENATOR LOREN LEMAN, Alaska State Legislature, testified as sponsor of SJR 8. He introduced himself as the state senator representing Elmendorf Air Force Base as well as parts of northwest Anchorage and east Anchorage. He said SJR 8 addresses the prospect of changing what has been a consistent policy of [Alaska's] Division of Elections, to allow voters on military installations to vote on their posts and bases. SENATOR LEMAN explained that in December 1999, the United States Department of Defense issued a directive advising installation commanders not to allow their facilities to be used for polling or voting. If that directive were to be followed, the military voters could no longer vote in their neighborhoods. Congress took action and [Alaska's United States] Senator [Ted] Stevens authored an amendment to an appropriations bill that postponed the effective date of the Department of Defense directive. SENATOR LEMAN further explained that the issue has now come to the fore in Anchorage, which holds local elections in April. Election officials are working right now with the municipality on setting up the election sites for the municipal elections. They are faced with uncertainty about whether the facilities at Fort Richardson and Elmendorf AFB will be available as they historically have been for the municipal elections. SENATOR LEMAN said there are two ways to remedy the impacts of the Department of Defense directive. The first is to have the Department of Defense rescind its directive. The second is to take Congressional action. Congress is working on the second remedy; HJR 8 addresses the first one. Congress last year was considering a House resolution that dealt with this issue and he understands that the same issue is being taken up again in this Congress. It is his belief that military men and women, like other voters, should be allowed to vote in their neighborhoods. He noted that AS 15.15.090 requires a polling place to be located within a precinct unless a location more suitable or more convenient to the voter is identified. SENATOR LEMAN said the committee would hear testimony from election officials that the places they have identified on the bases and posts are, indeed, suitable; they're close to the people who vote, they're adequate; and, therefore, they should continue to be used as polling places. In closing, Senator Leman commended the Division of Elections for doing an outstanding job of running elections and making the opportunity to vote available to all Alaskans. Number 0631 SHELLEY GROWDEN, Elections Supervisor, Central Region, Division of Elections, Office of the Lieutenant Governor, testified via teleconference that her jurisdiction includes both Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base. She said the Division of Elections is very supportive of SJR 8, as there was a problem before the 2000 primary election getting confirmation from the military bases regarding whether or not the Division of Elections was going to be allowed [to have polling places] on base for the elections. MS. GROWDEN testified that about a month before the primary in July, she received official notification from Eielson AFB that the Division of Elections could not have a polling place on base. She also was denied permission to use the school, which is a state-owned facility on Eielson AFB. Election officials worked with Senator Stevens' office, "and finally the President signed the appropriations bill and I notified Eielson AFB of that," she said. "But it came down to about 30 days before the election, so it caused a lot of concern on [the Division of] Elections part not knowing if we were going to be allowed to have a polling place on base." MS. GROWDEN estimated that there are more than 6,000 registered voters on Eielson AFB, and, "If we move a polling place, we're required under the Federal Voting Rights Act to receive pre- clearance from the Unites States Department of Justice, which is a 60-day process, and then Alaska law requires us to notify each registered voter ...." MS. GROWDEN said she would like to see more participation by military voters in local and state elections, not just in the presidential elections. "If we locate polling places off base, we are going to be affecting the voter turnout for our military voters, which is already ... very low ...." She added, "As Senator Leman stated, we all in Alaska enjoy the privilege of being able to vote right in our neighborhoods, and this would not be the case for military voters." Number 0828 MS. GROWDEN explained that in the case of Eielson AFB, she would have to move the polling place to Moose Creek or North Pole, and for Fort Wainwright, she would have to find a place that's not already currently used that could handle that many voters. "It definitely is going to be difficult on both elections administration and the voters if we start having to make that many voters go off base and have to find transportation to a polling place outside of their neighborhood," she said. "So I definitely support [HJR 8] and I hope we can get the Department of Defense or Congress to rescind the directive for good." REPRESENTATIVE STEVENS asked if the Kodiak Coast Guard Base is in the Central Region. MS. GROWDEN said it in a different region. REPRESENTATIVE STEVENS described a similar situation affecting 2,500 people on the Kodiak Island Coast Guard Base who have no polling place there. CHAIR COGHILL noted that Representative James had joined the committee meeting. CHAIR COGHILL mentioned that Fort Wainwright is in the middle of his district and takes up a big chunk of it, so he has a "tremendous interest" and is very supportive [of SJR 8]. REPRESENTATIVE CRAWFORD commended Senator Leman on SJR 8, saying, "Anything that helps get people out to the polls I think is a good thing ...." REPRESENTATIVE STEVENS asked about voter registration on military bases, citing an example of permission being denied to do so on the Coast Guard base in Kodiak. He suggested that Senator Leman look into that, too. SENATOR LEMAN observed that the Coast Guard is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transportation rather than the Department of Defense, so the situation may be a little different. In his district, at Elmendorf AFB, there is a person called a "voting officer" who coordinates such efforts. He understands that they allow voter registration on the base at Elmendorf. He agreed that voter registration on bases should be encouraged and any inconvenience remedied. Number 1100 CHAIR COGHILL asked Ms. Growden if the Elections Division conducts registration drives at Eielson AFB or Fort Wainwright. MS. GROWDEN said for all the election cycles, she works with the unit voting officers. This past year, in 2000, there was a very proactive unit voting officer at Fort Wainwright. The Division of Elections worked with that officer to sponsor several registration drives. Her staff has been invited to participate in registration drives at Fort Wainwright as well. She assured the committee that the military regularly sponsors voter registration drives. REPRESENTATIVE HAYES asked Senator Leman if any resolutions to address this issue have been introduced in this Congress. SENATOR LEMAN said he thinks it has not been introduced this session, but he believes that both the president and the secretary of defense are trying to approach it administratively, and that legislation may not be necessary. However, Senator Leman thinks it probably should be dealt with by legislation so this doesn't become an issue in the future. REPRESENTATIVE HAYES asked Ms. Growden if there is a backup plan if no solution comes [from the federal level]. MS. GROWDEN said the Elections Division will have to locate those polling places off base, and has been looking for the best locations. She is hoping that Fort Wainwright will continue to allow voting on base. She explained: I just could not be in a military-owned facility, so I moved to the school from the post library, and that seemed to appease the military personnel for Fort Wainwright. That was not the case for Eielson [AFB], however. When I offered to move to the school, it was still an issue of, "No, you can't be on base." And so for Eielson, my first choice would be to go to the Moose Creek fire station. I've talked to the fire chief out there. They were a little concerned because I already have a polling place in that facility, but they would in a pinch allow us to use that facility. Beyond that, those voters would have to go to North Pole ...[and] I just could not allow voters to have to travel that far to go cast their vote. So I'm hoping that Fort Wainwright will continue to allow me to use a state-owned facility, the school there, and if not, we would have to look at Tanana Junior High School, if the school district would allow us to use that facility. Again though, a very large precinct is already using this school and the school is overcrowded, so we're still just not exactly sure if Fort Wainwright doesn't allow us on where we would end up going. Number 1440 REPRESENTATIVE WILSON moved to report HCS CSSJR 8 (MLV) out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal notes. There being no objection, HCS CSSJR 8 (MLV) was reported out of the House State Affairs Standing Committee.
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