Division of Elections Meets Help America Vote Act Requirements

(December 28, 2007, Anchorage, Alaska) – Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell announced today that the Alaska Division of Elections has updated the Alaska State Plan, as required by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). Lieutenant Governor Parnell appointed a state committee, comprised of Division of Elections personnel; the state’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator; representatives from the disability community; and a representative from the Department of Law, to review the updated plan and provide comments to the Division of Elections.

“Although Alaska initially had few changes to make to our election laws, our voter registration system, and election equipment to comply with HAVA, Alaska has improved, and will continue to improve,” Lieutenant Governor Parnell said on Thursday. “Our election processes will comply with both state and federal legal requirements in order to maintain public trust and confidence in the election process and ensure that democracy is upheld through the ballot box.”

A public comment period on the updated HAVA State Plan will be held from December 28, 2007 through January 31, 2008. Written comment will be accepted until 5 p.m. January 31, and those Alaskans wishing to comment online may do.

“The 2008 HAVA State Plan includes updated information about the opening of the Division’s satellite offices to better serve Alaskans, the implementation of touch-screen voting with a voter-verifiable paper record, the development of new HAVA staff positions, and changes to voter outreach programs,” said Shelly Growden, HAVA Election Systems Manager for the Division of Elections.The plan is available on the Division of Elections' web site , as well as at the Division’s regional offices.

The Division of Elections expects to submit a final plan to the United States Election Assistance Commission for publication in the Federal Register after the public comment period.