Alaska § 43.76.015 - Election to approve or terminate salmon enhancement tax.

§ 43.76.015. Election to approve or terminate salmon enhancement tax.

 (a) A qualified regional association may conduct an election under this section after the commissioner of commerce, community, and economic development approves        (1) the notice to be published by the qualified regional association;

 (2) the ballot to be used in the election; and

 (3) the registration and voting procedure for the approval or termination of the salmon enhancement tax.

 (b) The salmon enhancement tax is levied under AS 43.76.001 — 43.76.013 in a region on the effective date stated on the ballot if        (1) it is approved by a majority vote of the eligible interim-use permit and entry permit holders voting in an election held under this section in the region; and

 (2) the election results are certified by the commissioner of commerce, community, and economic development.

 (c) In conducting an election under this section, a qualified regional association shall adopt the following procedures:        (1) the qualified regional association for the region shall hold at least one public meeting not less than 30 days before the date on which ballots must be postmarked to be counted in the election to explain the reason for the proposed salmon enhancement tax and to explain the registration and voting procedure to be used in the election; the qualified regional association shall provide notice of the meeting by             (A) mailing the notice to each eligible interim-use permit and entry permit holder;

 (B) posting the notice in at least three public places in the region; and

 (C) publishing the notice in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the region at least once a week for two consecutive weeks before the meeting;

 (2) the qualified regional association shall mail two ballots to each eligible interim-use permit and entry permit holder; the first ballot shall be mailed not more than 45 days before the dates ballots must be postmarked to be counted in the election; the second ballot shall be mailed not less than 15 days before the date ballots must be postmarked to be counted in the election; the qualified regional association shall adopt procedures to ensure that only one ballot from each eligible interim-use permit and entry permit holder is counted in the election;

 (3) the ballot must             (A) indicate whether the election relates to a salmon enhancement tax under AS 43.76.001 , 43.76.002, 43.76.003, 43.76.004, 43.76.005, 43.76.006, 43.76.007, 43.76.008, 43.76.009, 43.76.010, 43.76.011, 43.76.012, or 43.76.013;

 (B) ask the question whether the salmon enhancement tax shall be levied;

 (C) indicate the boundaries of the region in which the salmon enhancement tax will be levied;

 (D) provide an effective date for the levy of the salmon enhancement tax; and

 (E) indicate the date on which returned ballots must be postmarked in order to be counted;

 (4) the ballots shall be returned by mail and shall be counted by the commissioner of commerce, community, and economic development or by a person approved by the commissioner of commerce, community, and economic development.

 (d) The commissioner of commerce, community, and economic development shall certify the results of an election under this section if the commissioner determines that the requirements of (a) and (c) of this section have been satisfied.

 (e) Except as provided in AS 43.76.020 (b)(2), an election to terminate a salmon enhancement tax shall be conducted under the same procedures established under (a), (c) and (d) of this section for an election to approve a salmon enhancement tax.

 (f) In this section, “eligible interim-use permit and entry permit holder” means an individual who, 90 days before the date ballots must be postmarked to be counted in an election under this section, is listed in the records of the Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission as the legal owner of an interim-use permit or an entry permit which authorizes the individual to fish commercially in an administrative area established by the Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission under AS 16.43.200 , which is included, in whole or in part, in the region in which the election is held.