00                             HOUSE BILL NO. 20                                                                          
01 "An Act requiring that poll watchers and members of the state ballot counting review                                    
02 board be registered to vote in the state."                                                                              
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1. AS 15.10.170 is amended to read:                                                                      
05            Sec. 15.10.170. Appointment and privileges of watchers. The precinct party                                 
06       committee, where an organized precinct committee exists, or the party district                                    
07       committee where no organized precinct committee exists, or the state party                                        
08       chairperson where neither a precinct nor a party district committee exists, may appoint                           
09       one or more persons as watchers in each precinct and counting center for any election.                            
10       Each candidate not representing a political party may appoint one or more watchers                                
11       for each precinct or counting center in the candidate's respective district or the state for                      
12       any election. Any organization or organized group that sponsors or opposes an                                     
13       initiative, referendum, or recall may have one or more persons as watchers at the polls                       
14       and counting centers after first obtaining authorization from the director. A state party                         

01       chairperson, a precinct party committee, a party district committee, or a candidate not                           
02       representing a political party or organization or organized group may not have more                               
03       than one watcher on duty at a time in any precinct or counting center. A watcher must                         
04       be registered to vote in the state. The watcher may be present at a position inside the                       
05       place of voting or counting that affords a full view of all action of the election officials                      
06       taken from the time the polls are opened until the ballots are finally counted and the                            
07       results certified by the election board or the data processing review board. The                                  
08       election board or the data processing review board may require each watcher to                                    
09       present written proof showing appointment by the precinct party committee, the party                              
10       district committee, the organization or organized group, or the candidate the watcher                             
11       represents that is signed by the chairperson of the precinct party committee, the party                           
12       district committee, the state party chairperson, the organization or organized group, or                          
13       the candidate representing no party.                                                                              
14    * Sec. 2. AS 15.10.180 is amended to read:                                                                         
15            Sec. 15.10.180. Appointment of state ballot counting review board. The                                     
16       director shall appoint two persons from the political party of which the governor is a                            
17       member and two persons from the political party that received the second largest                                  
18       number of votes statewide in the preceding gubernatorial election to participate in the                           
19       state ballot counting review. The director may appoint additional individuals to                                  
20       participate in the state ballot counting review. Appointees must be registered to vote                        
21       in the state. Each political party may present to the director a list of three or more                        
22       names from which the director shall select the persons to represent the party. The list                           
23       of names may be submitted in writing at least 30 days before the date of the election.                            
24       The list of names shall be certified by the state chairperson of the political party or by                        
25       the person authorized by the party bylaws to act in the absence of the chairperson.