00                              HOUSE BILL NO. 83                                                                          
01 "An Act relating to voting by electronic transmission in a state election; and providing                                
02 for an effective date."                                                                                                 
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1. AS 15.20.066(a) is amended to read:                                                                   
05 (a)  The director shall adopt regulations applicable to the delivery of absentee                                        
06 ballots by electronic transmission in a state election and to the use of electronic                                     
07 transmission absentee voting in a state election by qualified voters. The regulations                                   
08       must                                                                                                              
09                 (1)  require the voter to comply with the same time deadlines as for                                    
10       voting in person on or before the closing hour of the polls;                                                      
11                 (2)  ensure the accuracy and, to the greatest degree possible, the                                      
12       integrity and secrecy of the ballot process;                                                                  
13                 (3)  prohibit absentee voting by facsimile.                                                         
14    * Sec. 2. AS 15.20.081(a) is amended to read:                                                                      
01 (a)  A qualified voter may apply in person, by mail, or by facsimile, scanning,                                         
02 or other electronic transmission to the director for an absentee ballot under this                                      
03 section. Another individual may apply for an absentee ballot on behalf of a qualified                                   
04 voter if that individual is designated to act on behalf of the voter in a written general                               
05 power of attorney or a written special power of attorney that authorizes the other                                      
06 individual to apply for an absentee ballot on behalf of the voter. The application must                                 
07 include the address or, if the application requests delivery of an absentee ballot by                                   
08 electronic transmission, the [TELEPHONE] electronic mail address                                                    
09 [TRANSMISSION NUMBER,] to which the absentee ballot is to be returned, the                                              
10 applicant's full Alaska residence address, and the applicant's signature. However, a                                    
11 person residing outside the United States and applying to vote absentee in federal                                      
12 elections in accordance with AS 15.05.011 need not include an Alaska residence                                          
13 address in the application. A person may supply to a voter an absentee ballot                                           
14 application form with a political party or group affiliation indicated only if the voter is                             
15 already registered as affiliated with the political party or group indicated. Only the                                  
16 voter or the individual designated by the voter in a written power of attorney under                                    
17 this subsection may mark the voter's choice of primary ballot on an application. A                                      
18 person supplying an absentee ballot application form may not design or mark the                                         
19 application in a manner that suggests choice of one ballot over another, except that                                    
20 ballot choices may be listed on an application as authorized by the division. The                                       
21 application must be made on a form prescribed or approved by the director. The voter                                    
22 or registration official shall submit the application directly to the division of elections.                            
23 For purposes of this subsection, "directly to the division of elections" means that an                                  
24 application may not be submitted to any intermediary that could control or delay the                                    
25 submission of the application to the division or gather data on the applicant from the                                  
26 application form. However, nothing in this subsection is intended to prohibit a voter                                   
27 from giving a completed absentee ballot application to a friend, relative, or associate                                 
28 for transfer to the United States Postal Service or a private commercial delivery                                       
29       service for delivery to the division.                                                                             
30    * Sec. 3. This Act takes effect January 1, 2020.