Alaska Measure 8, Relocation of State Capital Advisory Question (1982)
| Alaska Measure 8 | |
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| Election date |
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| Topic State capitals |
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| Status |
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| Type Legislatively referred advisory question |
Origin |
Alaska Measure 8 was on the ballot as a legislatively referred advisory question in Alaska on November 2, 1982. It was defeated.
A "yes" vote supported spending $2,843,147,000 to move the state capital from Juneau to Willow. |
A "no" vote opposed spending $2,843,147,000 to move the state capital from Juneau to Willow. |
Election results
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Alaska Measure 8 |
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| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 91,049 | 47.14% | ||
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102,083 | 52.86% | ||
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Measure 8 was as follows:
| “ | Ballot Measure No. 8 Ballot Proposition Relocation of the State Capital CS HB 603 (Fin) This proposition asks: Considering the cost, revenue and population estimates set out below, may the State of Alaska spend the money necessary (estimated to total $2,843,147,000) to accomplish relocation of a functional state capital from Juneau to the new capital site at Willow? If a majority votes YES, the State may spend the money required for that purpose. If a majority votes NO, laws and initiatives relating to capital relocation and indemnification are repealed. | ” |
Background
State capitals ballot measures in Alaska
Between 1960 and 2025, nine measures have been on the Alaska ballot that concern the location of the state capital. One additional measure, from 2002, concerned the location of the state legislative sessions.
Of the measures, three (33.3%) were approved, and six (66.6%) were defeated. One of the measures, the 1976 referral, was neither approved nor defeated. In that measure, voters decided between three potential sites for a state capital.
| Year | Measure | Yes vote | No vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Initiative 1, Cook Inlet State Capital Measure | 44.1% | 55.9% |
| 1962 | Initiative 1, State Capital Relocation Measure | 45.1% | 54.9% |
| 1974 | Initiative 1, New State Capital in Western Alaska Initiative | 56.7% | 43.3% |
| 1976 | Capital Relocation Site Selection Measure | N/A | N/A |
| 1978 | Bonding Proposition 10, New State Capital Bond Measure | 26.2% | 73.8% |
| 1978 | Ballot Proposition 3, Voter Approval Requirement for Capital Relocation Costs Initiative | 55.7% | 44.3% |
| 1982 | Measure 8, Relocation of State Capital Advisory Question | 47.1% | 52.9% |
| 1994 | Measure 3, State Capital in Wasilla Initiative | 45.3% | 54.7% |
| 1994 | Measure 5, Voter Approval Requirement for Capital Relocation Bonds Initiative | 77.4% | 22.6% |
| 2002 | Measure 2, Move Legislature to Matanuska-Susitna Borough Initiative | 32.8% | 67.2% |
Locations of proposed Alaskans capitals
Sitka was the capital of the territory of Alaska until 1906, when the capital city changed to Juneau. Between 1960 and 2002, six different locations were proposed as potential capital cities for the State of Alaska.
A 1960 ballot initiative would have moved the capital to the Cook Inlet-Railbelt region, which was described in contemporary news articles as the Anchorage, Alaska area.[1]
In 1976, voters chose between three cities potential cities for the new state capital: Larson Lake, Mount Yenlo, and Willow. Willow won the majority vote with 53.2% of voters selecting the city.
A 1994 ballot initiative would have moved the state capital to Wasilla, Alaska.
In 2002, Alaskan voters decided Measure 2. That measure would not moved the state capital, but it would have moved the location of the state legislative sessions to the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. In Alaska, boroughs act as a form of local government and function in the same way that counties do in other states.
State capitals ballot measures by state
- See also: State capitals ballot measures
Of the nine states that have placed measures on the ballot that concern the location of the capital city, Alaskans have seen the most on the ballot. Omitting the 2002 initiative, which would have moved the state's legislative sessions and not the capital city, Alaskans have decided nine ballot measures. Oklahomans, with the next largest amount of ballot measures, have decided five.
| State | Measures on the ballot | Approved by voters | Percentage approved |
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| Alaska | 9 | 4 | 44.4% |
| California | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Colorado | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| Maine | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| North Dakota | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Oklahoma | 5 | 1 | 20.0% |
| Oregon | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| South Dakota | 1 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Washington | 2 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Total | 22 | 9 | 40.9% |
Path to the ballot
A simple majority vote is required during one legislative session for the Alaska State Legislature to place an advisory question on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 21 votes in the Alaska House of Representatives and 11 votes in the Alaska State Senate, assuming no vacancies.
See also
External links
Footnotes
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State of Alaska Juneau (capital) |
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