Nothing but support for PFD-voter registration ballot measure

  • By LISA PHU
  • Saturday, September 24, 2016 9:13pm
  • News

Two people testified Friday morning in support of a citizen’s ballot initiative that ties voter registration to the Permanent Fund Dividend application.

Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott opened the public hearing on Ballot Measure No. 1, the Permanent Fund Voter Registration Initiative, in Juneau. Three other public hearings in Fairbanks, Seward and Nome were also going on concurrently. The measure will be on the Nov. 8 general election ballot.

“There has been no submission of a statement of opposition,” he said of the largely uncontroversial measure. “After posting to the Alaska Online Public Notice System and solicitations, the Division of Elections did not receive a response for the statement in opposition for this ballot initiative.”

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Marna Sanford in the Fairbanks Legislative Information Office said it’s a great idea to have Permanent Fund technology available for voter registration.

“I remember as a child, my mom having me sign my Permanent Fund application on the paper form, and we’ve watched as that division has used technology to make that easier. Now, I get an email from the state telling me it’s time to register for my PFD. It’s so easy and wonderful,” Sanford said. “It’s such a great way to use the technology that we’ve perfected for the Permanent Fund to make it easier for people to get involved.”

Natasha Singh, also testifying from the Fairbanks LIO, spoke in support of the measure on behalf of the Tanana Chiefs Conference and the 37 federally recognized tribes of the consortium.

“A lot of our tribal members are constantly moving between the village and urban centers and, unfortunately, registering to vote at their current address doesn’t always follow,” Singh said.

“We have found it difficult to register voters in the current system and we believe that once this initiative passes and everyone who applies for the PFD is also registered to vote, we will see an increased interest in our democracy. That’s what the ballot initiative will accomplish — a better democracy where everyone has a chance to have a voice in our elections, including Alaska natives who sometimes are a disenfranchised population,” she continued.

An initiative sponsor, John-Henry Heckendorn, also called in and read a statement of support.

In a comment submitted online Friday, Heckendorn wrote, “The Alaska Division of Elections has publicly projected that this initiative could result in as many as 70,000 newly registered voters in year one. (Currently, Alaska has about 500,000 registered voters.)”

If the measure passes, information submitted to the 2017 PFD application will also be sent to the Division of Elections. While the state processes PFD, the division will register eligible new voters and update addresses of established voters. New voters will receive a notification in the mail asking them to declare a political affiliation or opt out of the voter registration process. The proposition wouldn’t take away other forms of voter registration.

The public can submit comments on the ballot initiative any time up until the day of the election on the state’s Online Public Notices website, notice.alaska.gov. Otherwise, there is another opportunity for in-person or call-in testimony on Oct. 5 in Anchorage, Bethel, Sitka and Kotzebue.

The deadline to register for the November general election is Oct. 9.

Unregistered eligible voters will receive a postcard in the mail this week from the Division of Elections with information on how to register to vote, including the online site voterregistration.alaska.gov.

More in News

Children leap forward to grab candy during a Fourth of July parade on South Willow Street in Kenai, Alaska, on July 4, 2025. (Photo courtesy Sarah Every)
Celebrating the 4th in the streets

Kenai comes out for annual Independence Day parade.

Fire crews respond to the Bruce Fire, July 4, 2025, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Alaska Division of Forestry)
Firefighting crews respond to wildfire outside Soldotna

The 8-acre fire and two “spot fires” of less than one acre each are located near Mile 102 and 103 of the Sterling Highway.

Robert Weaver was last seen at the Doroshin Bay public use cabin on June 25, 2025. (Photo provided by the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)
Kenai wildlife refuge seeking information on missing man

Robert Weaver was last seen near Skilak Lake on June 25.

The Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team conducts a training mission in Seward, Alaska in 2024. Photo courtesy of the Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team
Anchor Point fundraiser to benefit Alaska rescue and recovery group

Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization established in 2016.

Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic staff (left to right) Angie Holland, RN; Jane Rohr, Sonja Martin Young, CNM; Robin Holmes, MD; and Cherie Bole, CMA provide an array of reproductive and sexual health services. (Photo provided by KBFPC)
Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic releases report on STI trends on the Kenai Peninsula

The report pulls from data gathered from 2024 to early 2025.

Pool manager and swim coach Will Hubler leads a treading water exercise at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Swimmers, parents call on Kenai to support Kenai Central pool

The KPBSD Board of Education last week said communities will need to step up and take over administration of pools within the next year.

Traffic passes by South Spruce Street in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai drops effort to rename South Spruce Street

The resolution would have changed the name to make it clear which road led to North Kenai Beach

Gov. Mike Dunleavy compares Alaska to Mississippi data on poverty, per-pupil education spending, and the 2024 National Assessment of Education Progress fourth grade reading scores during a press conference on Jan. 31, 2025. Alaska is highlighted in yellow, while Mississippi is in red. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Dunleavy calls special session for August

Lawmakers on Wednesday said they were surprised by the move.

Most Read