JULY 18, 2014  

Remember to Register –
You Can Do It Online!

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

There are some important dates on the horizon for Alaskan Voters:

• July 20, 2014 Voter registration deadline – Last day for voters to register to vote or update their registration information.
• August 4, 2014 Early and absentee in-person voting begins at many locations throughout Alaska.
• August 4, 2014 Civilian voters may begin to apply for absentee ballots by electronic transmission.
• August 9, 2014 Deadline to apply for an absentee ballot by mail.
• August 18, 2014 5:00 p.m. Alaska Standard Time Deadline to apply for an absentee ballot by electronic transmission.
• August 19, 2014 Primary Election Day – Polls open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
  • August 19, 2014 Deadline for absentee by-mail ballots to be postmarked.
  • August 19, 2014, 8:00 p.m. Alaska Standard Time, is the deadline for electronic transmission absentee ballots to be received.

Move recently? Check here to find your registration information and see if you need to make any updates!

Confused about why the heck you need to vote on August 19th? Check here to learn about Alaska Primary Elections.

Collaborative Governance

Did you notice anything new and different about the voting information above?

Maybe that you can register to vote, update your registration information, apply for an absentee ballot, and vote your absentee ballot, all online?

National data consistently ranks Alaska as having one of the highest rates of internet usage at home, at work, or via public access locations. 2010 data shows that 88.6% of households statewide have internet access from some location. In Anchorage and Fairbanks, this number is 89.4%, while in rural areas, this number reaches 87.3%. With these kinds of numbers, we can easily turn otherwise time-consuming, boring, or inconvenient tasks into something that can be done quickly and easily online.

For example, there are many people in Alaska with expertise to share, who are not always connected with the decision-makers who need it. Many Legislators’ constituents work long and varied hours, and cannot afford to fly to Juneau or participate in middle-of-the-day phone conferences to ensure that their voices are heard. By utilizing online technologies we could see a notable increase in civic participation.

This past session, I proposed a bill which would allow registered Alaska voters to sign in to the existing Legislative database, BASIS, using their social and professional media accounts. From there, Alaskans could respectfully comment on bills, vote bills up or down, and give their ideas for new legislation or amendments. This could be done at any hour of the day or night, and would increase the likelihood that people would weigh in.

Other ‘crowdsourcing’ and ‘open-source’ models led to revolutionary technologies, such as Wikipedia and Linux. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Peer-to-Patent program created a “human database” to assist patent examiners and reduce research time, lifting weight from an overloaded system. These models lead to increased transparency and efficiency and provide a rapid feedback mechanism.

Net Neutrality

Does all data have to be treated equally?

The FCC is endorsing rules that would give internet providers the opportunity to charge websites an extra fee for quicker service. In essence, its proposal is to replace "Net Neutrality" with a multiply-tiered Internet with fast service for corporations and others with lots of money, and a "slow lane" for the rest of us.

This sounds like a great idea – Netflicks could pay more so that their pages loaded quicker and better serve their customers. But what about websites belonging to smaller companies, like the corner flower shop or home art sales, that can’t afford these higher prices?

The FCC's web site has been so inundated with comments on its proposal that they've extended the comment period through this TODAY! In fact, Google, Facebook, Netflicks, and Amazon have all signed a letter supporting Net Neutrality and opposing the FCC’s proposed rules. On the converse, Comcast has already spent $18,810,000 lobbying for this fast lane.

There are lots of articles on line about this, such as this one on C/Net and this one from the Wall Street Journal.

I'm submitting comments supporting Net Neutrality. I encourage anyone else wishing to comment to go to http://www.fcc.gov/comments and click on "Proceeding 14-28, Protecting and Promoting the Open Internet." The internet has become a necessity for work and school and we would all be disadvantaged if some pages load quickly while others lag behind.

If you want to see the John Oliver commentary that prompted the flood of comments that crashed the FCC site the first time, check this out. That segment inspired something one doesn't often see: the following week, Chairman of the FCC Tom Wheeler responded to Oliver by assuring a press conference audience he "was not a dingo."

Got a Bike?

Next month, take a biking tour of the beautiful neighborhood of Mountain View!

Tours are free & open to the public, but there are only 20 spots for each tour. Register or get more information at www.uaa.alaska.edu/engage.

Sincerely,

Representative Geran Tarr