Voters flood the polls in Juneau
Voter turnout for today's election has been higher than any in recent memory, according to some local election officials.
"We did 100 voters in less than 50 minutes this morning; we didn't know we could work that fast," said Stuart Sliter, an election official at the Douglas Library polling station.
By 10 a.m., 214 voters had showed up to vote in Douglas. Sliter, who has worked as an election official for more than 16 years, said more people turned out Tuesday morning than did in 1994 when a statewide ballot initiative threatened to move the capital from Juneau to Wasilla.
At the Nugget Mall, election official Tom Perkins said today's voter participation has been the highest he's seen during his 10 years working the polls.
"We had a line at 7 a.m. when we opened," Perkins said. "We have more (voters) now than we had by 2 p.m. in the primary election.
"If this is any indicator, after dinner there is going to be a big line."
The election at a glance
• Voters decide today on the next governor, members of the Legislature, U.S. House and Senate races, three ballot propositions including a legislative-move measure, three bond issues including a school-funding measure and retention of some judges.
• The official election pamphlet is online through juneauempire.coms Election Coverage section.
• Capital Transit buses are free today to help voters get to the polls.
• Polls are open until 8 p.m.
• Juneaus election central is at Centennial Hall tonight, with results posted and candidates appearing.
• Election results will be posted at juneauempire.com.
Polling places statewide opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 8 p.m.
The high frequency of voters making it to the polls this morning could be due to what pundits have said is a tight election for governor.
Also important to voters in Juneau is Ballot Measure 2, which would move legislative sessions from Juneau to Anchorage or the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, just north of Anchorage.
Voter Doug Jones, 52, said he was concerned about the legislative move initiative, not just because of the impact it would have on Juneau.
"It would affect everyone in the whole state," he said, noting budget deficits threaten Alaska's economy.
Jones said he does expect the issue to reappear if the initiative is defeated. He added Juneau needs to continue making improvements if it wants to remain the capital city.
"I don't think putting a road in will change much," Jones said, adding that the city needs to look at a broad range of improvements such as renovations to the Capitol and better telecommunications.
Voter Gladi Kulp said she is excited about the outcome of the governors' race, which she expects to be very close.
Kulp said she also was interested in Proposition C, which would provide $236 million in general obligation bonds for rural school construction and maintenance projects throughout the state. The proposition also would tie in debt reimbursement to urban school construction and maintenance projects, including a new high school in Juneau.
"I don't have kids," Kulp said, "but I'm always for funding education."
Roberta Herzog, 60, said she came to the polls in part to support a proposition to provide $500 million to the Alaska Housing Finance Corp. to finance mortgages for veterans.
"I think it's important because we have to keep doing more for our veterans," she said, noting that her brother served in the military during the Vietnam War.
Tisa Becker, a 25-year-old substitute teacher, said she was voting in part to counter her sister's vote on the legislative move initiative.
"She lives in Big Lake, and she's voting for the move," Becker said. Big Lake is just north of Wasilla, in the area where sessions eventually would be moved if Ballot Measure 2 passes.
Becker said she has watched students at Harborview Elementary School get excited about the Kids Voting program.
The program encourages students to cast a vote at the polls or at their elementary, middle or high school.
Becker said she participated in the program when she was younger and now has the chance to engage other kids to be part of the democratic process.
By 10 a.m., 28 kids had voted at the Douglas Library, with ages ranging from 3 to 17.
Timothy Inklebarger can be reached at timothyi@juneauempire.com.