Alaskans have a least six good reasons to vote in today's election.
Reasons 1 and 2: It's effectively a referendum on two long-serving members of Congress, Sen. Ted Stevens and Rep. Don Young. Should they stay or should they go? For the first time in years, both men face credible challengers from their own party and from Democrats. Voters, you have a choice.
Also, every Alaska voter gets to have a say on four important ballot measures. With each proposal, if a majority of voters approve, it becomes the law of the land.
* Do you want to expand legalized gambling? Measure 1 will do so.
* Should aerial killing of wolves and bears be limited to biological emergencies? That's what Measure 2 does.
* Should Alaska adopt a Clean Elections system of funding campaigns for office using public money? Measure 3 sets up that system.
* Should the state prevent new mines from discharging toxic pollutants into salmon streams? Measure 4 will put that rule into state law.
Four pretty important questions, and you get to decide them directly. These initiatives put you in charge. Today's election cuts out the middle men, the fancy-suited lobbyists who wine and dine legislators, the wealthy campaign contributors who can hand candidates $500 checks like you or I would give spare change to a homeless person.
Today, those lobbyists and influence brokers have exactly the same power you do: one vote.
Use it.
-- Matt Zencey, editorial page editor
WHICH BALLOT DO I GET?
Voting in Alaska's primary can confusing. When signing in at the polls, voters will get one of three different ballots:
• The Republican
• The "A-D-L" (listing candidates from the other three parties: Alaskan Independence, Democrat, and Libertarian), or
• Ballot Measure-only ballot. (The Republican and A-D-L ballots also have the voter initiatives on them. This is for voters who don't wish to participate in any party's primary to select candidates.)
Any registered voter, including Republicans, may choose the A-D-L (Alaskan Independence, Democrat, Libertarian) ballot or the Ballot Measure-only ballot. The Republican ballot may be requested by any voter who is registered Republican, nonpartisan or undeclared.
Matt Zencey