PFD voter initiative expands a precious American right

"My fellow citizens, the dangers to our country and the world will be overcome. We will pass through this time of peril and carry on the work of peace. We will defend our freedom. We will bring freedom to others and we will prevail."

— President George W. Bush, 2003, announcing the launch of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

I joined the active-duty Army in 2000, at 17 years old, right out of East Anchorage High School. I deployed to Iraq in 2003 and again in 2006 with the Alaska Army National Guard, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I was one of those guys fighting to defend freedom in a time of peril, as the president put it.

Now that I'm back in Alaska, sometimes I ask myself: What are we doing to "carry on the work of peace" here at home? Is the democracy we sally forth to defend abroad still working as well as it should here in our own backyard?

With large holes in voter registration among young Alaskans, disabled Alaskans, rural Alaskans, and Alaskans in the military, and a stubborn refusal to modernize our elections system, I'm not so sure. It's frustrating to have gone into battle in the name of democracy, and then come home and find out that we're not keeping our own democratic system up-to-date.

[Alaska will gain with voter registration on PFD application]

That's why I've been happy to learn about Ballot Measure 1: PFD Automatic Voter Registration, which will be on the ballot in the Nov. 8 general election.

This proposal would link voter registration to the Permanent Fund dividend application system. If you apply for a PFD, you're automatically registered to vote or get your registration updated if it's out of date. It's simple, it's secure, it's killing two birds with one stone. If you don't like it, you're able to opt out easily.

If we put the same restrictions on someone's right to buy a gun that we do on voter registration, Alaskans wouldn't stand for it. I'm proud of my right to own guns, and I'm proud of my right to vote. But the former depends on the latter.

I don't want Alaska dragging behind the rest of the country on voting or voter registration. I want a modern, streamlined system, especially one that makes use of resources we already have to save money.

[Native groups, unions put cash behind effort to link voter registration, PFD application]

The right to vote is the heartbeat of American democracy. It's how we protect our freedom. Voter registration should be simple. Voter registration should be secure. Voter registration shouldn't suffer because of an out-of-date system. If it's worth fighting and dying for, it's absolutely worth using common sense to make the system work properly. Especially if we can save money doing it.

We spent $1.7 trillion to go to war in Iraq and establish a democratic system there. In Alaska we've spent millions to design a state-of-the-art, ultramodern, online application system so we can get our PFD money. Surely it's worth taking the time to make sure our elections system is modernized and up-to-date (and isn't wasting money unnecessarily) as well. Or at least this veteran thinks so.

Erich W. Reed graduated from East High and joined the active duty Army in September 2000 at the age of 17. He served two tours in Iraq, including as part of Alaska's only long-range reconnaissance unit, and continues to serve in the Alaska Army National Guard. 

The views expressed here are the writer's and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary@alaskadispatch.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@alaskadispatch.com.