General Election

From a new football field to safety improvements at busy intersections, valley voters will take up five borough propositions during Tuesday's general election. A number of voters are speaking out about Proposition 1. If passed it would restructure the Mat-Su Borough’s government, replacing the borough manager with a mayor. Proponents say it will give that position more power. Voters will also make decisions that affect the safety of both students and city residents.

Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Scott McAdams’ campaign opened its race headquarters Wednesday -- but McAdams, the mayor of Sitka, faces a tough fight against Republican opponent Joe Miller. The party at McAdams’ headquarters is over, but what follows is the hard part: raising money to counter Tea Party-endorsed Miller, who’s had hundreds of thousands of dollars come into his campaign. The opening of McAdams’ headquarters was also a chance to meet some of his supporters.

It's been an emotional day for Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski's staff and supporters realizing they don't have the votes to push on to November's general election. Tuesday’s count had Joe Miller ahead with 51 percent of the vote to Murkowski’s 49 percent, the margin between the two candidate’s just 1,630 votes. “I don't see a scenario where the primary will turn out in my favor. It is a reality that is before me at this point in time and for that reason and for the good of the state of Alaska, which is what this is all about, it’s for the good of the state of Alaska I am now conceding the race for the representative nomination,” Murkowski said at a press conference held Tuesday night.

Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan has endorsed Joe Miller for the U.S. Senate, saying “Joe will bring new energy and new ideas to Congress and that is what our country needs in these challenging times.” Miller is running against Democrat Scott McAdams. The general election is Nov. 2.

Lieutenant Governor Mead Treadwell announced Monday that Alaskan voters can now vote in the upcoming general election by email. The new system will allow voters overseas and across the state to cast ballots in the upcoming election after they apply for an email ballot, up until November 5, the day before the election. Click HERE to apply for an emailed ballot. After the Division of Elections receives a completed electronic ballot application, they'll send out an email ballot within 24-48 hours.

by Channel 2 News staff Tuesday, September 30, 2008 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The Southcentral Foundation along with other community groups held a voter registration drive Tuesday in an effort to get more Alaskans registered to vote. They started registering voters at 9 a.m. at the Alaska Native Primary Care Center and by the afternoon, the group had registered more than 50 people. "Once you start feeling that your voice makes a difference, and you can be more engaged with your politicians and the people that represent your district, then you can be more active and take a greater care in your community," said voter registrar Allison Warden.

The Republican primary for the state House seat in District 18, which encompasses Eagle River and Government Hill, now has a winner. After a Thursday recount in Juneau by the state Division of Elections,  Dan Saddler emerged triumphant -- by the same four-vote margin he held over Bill Cook, with 415 votes for Saddler to 411 for Cook. Dan Kendall, the third Republican running for the seat formerly held by Nancy Dahlstrom, had 332 votes. Saddler will face Democrat Martin Lindeke in the Nov. 2 general election.

Lieutenant Governor Mead Treadwell announced today the opening of the public comment period for the review of election laws and procedures currently being conducted by his office and the Division of Elections.   "The 2010 election was historic," Lieutenant Governor Treadwell said.  "It revealed an opportunity to review the way we conduct elections.  We want to ensure any concerns Alaskans have are heard and addressed. "   The lieutenant governor previously announced that his office would conduct a thorough review of Alaska's election laws and procedures following the 2010 general election and subsequent legal disputes over the U.S. Senate race.

Absentee and early voting could play an important role in the outcome of the U.S. Senate race. Officials at the state Division of Elections say that in the first three days of early voting, over 2,700 ballots have been cast. If that pace continues over the 15 days of early voting, it would exceed the total of 8,455 early ballots cast in the 2006 general election. So far, election officials have mailed more than 27,600 absentee ballots, which is more than were mailed in 2006. The Division of Elections doesn't expect to start counting names written onto ballots until about Nov. 18, when the total number of ballots is known and it's clear whether the state must legally count write-ins.

Ethan Berkowitz's opposition to the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act, the state's strategy to build a natural gas pipeline, seem to resonate with voters in the Democratic primary for governor. At the end of the night, Berkowitz had a strong lead of 48 percent. State Sen. Hollis French, a staunch support of AGIA, was in second place with 41 percent. Berkowitz wasted no time in going after his apparent Republican opponent in the November general election, incumbent Gov. Sean Parnell.

Joe Miller, the 2010 Republican Senate Candidate, made his first major political speech in 12 months in the state and said he's contemplating a 2014 Senate run at the Alaska Libertarian Party convention held Saturday in a midtown hotel. Miller kept a low profile during last year's election year and continued to make contributions to his website Restoring Liberty. He said his motivation for speaking at the Best Western Hotel was simply accepting an invitation by the Alaska Libertarian Party.

Lieutenant Governor Mead Treadwell announced Monday that Alaskan voters can now vote in the upcoming general election by email. The new system will allow voters overseas and across the state to cast ballots in the upcoming election after they apply for an email ballot, up until November 5, the day before the election. Click HERE to apply for an emailed ballot. After the Division of Elections receives a completed electronic ballot application, they'll send out an email ballot within 24-48 hours.

The big election day is Tuesday, November 6, and the deadline to register to vote is the less than two weeks away. In Alaska, the deadline to register for the general election is October 7. Registration forms can be found online at the State Division of Elections website , along with absentee and early voting information. “From what we can tell, at least 20,000 eligible Alaskans aren't registered to vote,” Lt. Gov. Treadwell said in a news release.  “And of those registered, only about 25% voted in the primary election last month.

After the mishandled trial of former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, the U.S. Senate is trying to decide if it should change the rules for how federal prosecutors handle evidence. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) argued, Wednesday, for reform before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is considering her bill, the Fairness in Disclosure of Evidence Act. The legislation, introduced in March, would set standards which would require prosecutors to do a better job of sharing information with the defense.

A long-awaited state review of the 2010 election was released Friday, recommending some 34 changes in election procedures to strengthen ballot security and improve public notice of election procedures. Many state lawmakers called for the review after last year’s fiercely contested U.S. Senate race, in which challenger Joe Miller won the Republican primary over Sen. Lisa Murkowski -- who staged a write-in bid to reclaim her seat, winning by more than 10,000 votes according to the state Division of Elections.

Lieutenant Governor Mead Treadwell announced today the opening of the public comment period for the review of election laws and procedures currently being conducted by his office and the Division of Elections.   "The 2010 election was historic," Lieutenant Governor Treadwell said.  "It revealed an opportunity to review the way we conduct elections.  We want to ensure any concerns Alaskans have are heard and addressed. "   The lieutenant governor previously announced that his office would conduct a thorough review of Alaska's election laws and procedures following the 2010 general election and subsequent legal disputes over the U.S. Senate race.

There is tension in the campaigns of both Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Joe Miller as both wait for the absentee ballot vote count to begin Tuesday. As it readies to count around 30,000 absentee ballot, the Division of Elections is confident the process is working exactly as it should. “The absentee and questioned ballots from the 2010 general election are following the statutory provisions that are followed in every election,” said Gail Fenumiai, Division of Elections.

Absentee and early voting could play an important role in the outcome of the U.S. Senate race. Officials at the state Division of Elections say that in the first three days of early voting, over 2,700 ballots have been cast. If that pace continues over the 15 days of early voting, it would exceed the total of 8,455 early ballots cast in the 2006 general election. So far, election officials have mailed more than 27,600 absentee ballots, which is more than were mailed in 2006. The Division of Elections doesn't expect to start counting names written onto ballots until about Nov. 18, when the total number of ballots is known and it's clear whether the state must legally count write-ins.

You can now cast a ballot in the 2010 general election. Early voting started Monday. If you're registered and cannot wait until Nov. 2, stop by a Division of Elections Office for a ballot. Offices in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Nome, and Wasilla all have them on hand and they're open during business hours Monday through Friday and during the weekend before the election. “First day we were busy. We had people before we were even ready to open. Eight o’clock they started coming in and they've been continually coming in,” said Julie Hussman, Division of Elections.

From a new football field to safety improvements at busy intersections, valley voters will take up five borough propositions during Tuesday's general election. A number of voters are speaking out about Proposition 1. If passed it would restructure the Mat-Su Borough’s government, replacing the borough manager with a mayor. Proponents say it will give that position more power. Voters will also make decisions that affect the safety of both students and city residents.