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Legislators to Review Election Law
Committees to Receive Report on Balloting, New Primary Regulations

For Immediate Release: February 6, 2001

Contact: Representative Norman Rokeberg at (907) 465-4968

(JUNEAU) -- Legislators will hear a report from state elections officials on the status of new primary elections laws and the general state of Alaska's electoral system at a joint hearing of the House Judiciary and State Affairs committees on Wednesday.

Rep. Norman Rokeberg (R-Anchorage), chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said he invited the lieutenant governor and a state elections specialist to make the presentations to help reassure Alaskans about the integrity of the Alaska's election process.

"The problems Florida experienced in the recent national election dramatically demonstrate the importance of having a reliable election process," Rokeberg said. "I believe the lieutenant governor and the Division of Elections have done a good job in helping Alaska avoid such problems and run fair and efficient elections. It's important to get that message out to Alaskans."

The punch-card ballots that resulted in the infamous "dimpled chads" in Florida are not in use anywhere in Alaska, Rokeberg noted. However, even though the state's larger communities use modern optical scanners, other areas use other voting systems that might carry their own challenges.

The lieutenant governor is also expected to give a report on the status on Alaska's primary elections laws. After the Supreme Court ruled California's "open primary" system unconstitutional last year, Alaska abandoned its similar system. Last August's primary election was conducted under emergency regulations as a modified "closed primary," letting voters choose between ballots showing Republicans or all other candidates. A state task force charged with drafting new laws held its first meeting in Juneau last week.

The joint committee meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Room 205 of the capitol. It will be carried by statewide teleconference, and local Legislative Information Offices will have details on how to listen in.

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