2021-02-12                     Senate Journal                      Page 0211
SB 83                                                                                                                         
SENATE BILL NO. 83 BY THE SENATE RULES COMMITTEE                                                                                
BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR, entitled:                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
             "An Act relating to elections; and providing for an                                                               
          effective date."                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
was read the first time and referred to the State Affairs and Finance                                                           
Committees.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
The following fiscal information was published today:                                                                           
 Fiscal Note No. 1, zero, Office of the Governor                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Governor's transmittal letter dated February 11:                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Dear President Micciche:                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Under the authority of Article III, Section 18, of the Alaska                                                                   
Constitution, I am transmitting a bill relating to election integrity                                                           
(AS 15.07, 15.15, 15.20). This bill would provide additional tools for                                                          
the Division of Elections to increase public trust in our elections.                                                            
Ensuring the integrity of our elections is critical to the preservation of                                                      
our democracy. This bill would strengthen and improve key aspects of                                                            
Alaska’s election process specifically related to tabulation machine                                                            
audits, voter signature verification, the costs associated with recounts,                                                       
and mail-in-only voting in small communities.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The Division of Elections needs more flexibility to conduct audits on                                                           
the tabulation machines used to count votes. This bill would permit the                                                         
division director to conduct additional hand counts and to audit more                                                           
precincts as appropriate, to help ensure public confidence in the                                                               
integrity of our election results.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
The bill would clarify that a voter’s signature and at least two voter                                                          
identifiers are required on an absentee ballot envelope in order for that                                                       
absentee ballot to be valid and counted.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
In addition, the bill would allow the director to set by regulation, the                                                        
amount of money required to be put on deposit prior to a recount being                                                          
initiated. That amount is currently set in statute. This will ensure that                                                       
recount deposits are sufficient to cover the actual cost of conducting                                                          
the recount.