The League of Women Voters of Anchorage, a nonpartisan organization, is concerned about the Division of Elections' decision to remove a candidate’s political affiliation from the general election ballot. If an independent or Libertarian candidate chose to run in this year’s Democratic party primary and subsequently won the nomination for that race, the new ballot layout only states, “Democratic Nominee” and does not include the candidate’s party affiliation. Changes to the ballot format/layout, especially around candidate information, should always go through a legal review to assure requirements mandated by state law are being met.
Our main concern is the impact the new ballot language will have on Alaska voters. News articles have focused on the effect the change has had on candidates. Being an informed voter is a fundamental component to voting. Unfortunately, many voters rely on the information on the ballot to make their choice. By eliminating the political affiliation of the candidate, the voter is being deprived of critical information to make an informed choice. This is especially true of voters in the military who are overseas or stationed in another state, students attending an out-of-state college and other voters who are temporarily out of state during the election. Lack of critical candidate information may leave may voters feeling disenfranchised.
The League’s mission is to keep the voter at the center of the election process. In other words, the League must advocate for the voter. Therefore, the League of Women Voters of Anchorage strongly opposes the ballot language change due to the negative impact on the Alaska electorate. We urge the Division of Elections to seek legal review for the 2022 elections.
— Cari Zawodny
Vice President, LWV of Anchorage
Eagle River
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