Official Election Pamphlet - Alaska Elections State Division of Elections

Ballot Measure No. 1
Constitutional Convention Question
The Alaska State Constitution states that during any ten-year period, if a constitutional
convention has not been held, the lieutenant governor shall place on the ballot for the next
general election the question:
Ballot Language
Ballot Measure No. 1
Constitutional Convention Question
Shall there be a constitutional convention
Yes
No
Legislative Affairs Agency Summary
This question relates to a call for a constitutional convention. At the convention the state
constitution may be amended or revised, subject to approval by the voters. Under the state
constitution, the voters must have the chance to vote on the question of whether there should
be a constitutional convention if there has not been a convention during the last ten years.
There has not been a convention in the last ten years. This question asks voters to say
whether there should be a constitutional convention.
Statement in Support
“The times they are a changing,” said Bob Dylan. Thomas Jefferson agreed that change
requires periodic review of a constitution. Are some changes in the fundamental document
required to update to changing circumstances Alaska’s constitutional authors understood
change, which is why you are asked to vote on this question every ten years. It is now more
than fifty years since Alaskans, then subjects of Territorial government, drew up this document.
It has with exceptions, served us well, but the times have changed.
Since drawn in part to persuade the Congress to give us statehood, the constitution was short
on innovation. “One person, one vote” was not yet the law of the land, so representation in a
single larger chamber without a separate senate drew little consideration. In a state now with
a much larger population, unicameralism would bring economies, enhanced accountability
and smaller districts, closer to the people if we combined the 40 and 20 into one 60 member
chamber as was done in Nebraska.
But the biggest change has been the growth of money, often corporate, often secret money, as
the deciding factor in our elections. Many in the legislature are favored by this system, which
is why the people in convention must bring change.
The statement printed on this page is the opinion of the author(s) and is presented as submitted to the Division of Elections.
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2012 REGION III