Voters in April can consider whether Anchorage men should be excused from registering for the federal military draft.

Scott Kohlhaas, Alaska Libertarian Party chairman, and supporters collected enough petition signatures to get the question on the April 6 ballot. Petitioners got about 10,000 signatures; the minimum necessary was 6,352.

Virtually all American males between 18 and 25 must sign up for Selective Service.

The ballot initiative, if approved, would create a task force "to study the effects of" making Anchorage exempt. The study would consider national security, government funding and other issues related to draft registration, Kohlhaas said.

The volunteer, appointed task force -- likely composed of military, government and citizen representatives, Kohlhaas said -- would report on its findings and conclusions and would figure out how to invoke a local exemption.

Anchorage's mayor would write a letter to the Selective Service saying that Anchorage residents disapprove of registration requirements.

Such exemptions haven't happened anywhere else, but Kohlhaas hopes a local anti-draft message will start in Anchorage and spread. The Libertarians hope Anchorage's election will kick off a national anti-draft movement.

"It's going to make us stronger in terms of an anti-draft movement," he said. "People against it are organizing. That's important."

Kohlhaas said Libertarians are planning a similar statewide ballot initiative for 2006. He said registration wastes money, considering the draft hasn't been used in 30 years.

"This is not anti-military at all. This is about the draft," he said. "We're encouraging the all-volunteer force."

A city attorney approved the language that will appear on the ballot. But, Mayor Mark Begich said, local laws allow almost anything on the ballot so long as it's an advisory; approving the initiative wouldn't change any laws.

The mayor said Kohlhaas really should be petitioning the congressional delegation since registration is a federal law.

"It doesn't make any sense," Begich said. "I'm not sure what the purpose is here."

Begich said he would not support using any city funds to help pay for the local study. If the initiative is approved, "we'd just forward election results over to the Selective Service. I'll pay for the stamp."