 Vote to Consolidate Ketchikan Fails With 65% Voting NO December 07, 2006
AS 29.06.140 instructs the
Division of Elections to conduct the election when two incorporated
areas are seeking consolidation. Voters voted on the question:
Shall the City of Ketchikan and the Ketchikan Gateway Borough
be consolidated as one government, the home- rule Municipality
of Ketchikan? Ballots mailed to the Division had to be postmarked by November 21 and persons voting Absentee in person had to vote by November 21. This is the second time in five years for Ketchikan voters to consider the question of consolidation. The question also failed before Ketchikan voters in 2001. Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell also announced today that the November 7 General Election results have been certified. Final results are available on the Division of Elections website. Voter turnout increased slightly over the 2002 gubernatorial election. Certification of the election included the bi-partisan State Review Board's hand count of ballots in one randomly selected precinct in each of the 40 House Districts for the first time in a General Election. Optical scan and touch screen ballots were counted by hand. In the hand counts for optical scan units the paper ballot was counted, and for the touch screen voting units, the voter verified paper receipt was counted. The hand count again proved the voting units and the central tabulation system counted ballots accurately. The State Review Board also reviewed election materials in all of Alaska's 439 precincts and 110 absentee voting locations to make sure election counts were accurate. "The 2006 General Election went very smoothly, and I could not be more pleased with and grateful to all of the hardworking Division of Elections employees, review boards and poll workers who made this election a success," said Division Director Whitney Brewster. This the first year the touch screen voting units have been used. These units possess an audio option which gives blind or visually impaired voters the opportunity to vote independently, often for the first time. The units also possess a paper printout for voters to verify their selections prior to casting their ballots on the machine. This printout is used during the hand count verification process and recounts. Lt. Governor Parnell said, "It is an honor and privilege to serve my state as Lieutenant Governor. Based on what I've seen, I am satisfied with the performance of the touch screen and optical scan ballots. I look forward to continuing to improve technology by implementing a new voter registration system in 2007. This system will replace the 20-year old system the State now has." Source of News:
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