01/31/1994 01:15 PM House JUD

  CSHB 49(JUD) - "An Act relating to absentee voting, to                       
  electronic transmission of absentee ballot applications,                     
  and to delivery of ballots to absentee ballot applicants by                  
  electronic transmission."                                                    
                                                                               
  Number 660                                                                   
                                                                               
  TOM ANDERSON, Legislative Aide to Rep. Terry Martin, Prime                   
  Sponsor of HB 49, testified that he followed up on the                       
  question relating to postmarks and also of how HB 49 would                   
  affect municipal clerks.  Mr. Anderson said Rep. Martin had                  
  no problem with changing the wording of the bill to say that                 
  an application requesting delivery of an absentee ballot to                  
  the applicant must be addressed to the Division of Elections                 
  and received in not less than seven days.  On the second                     
  question, Mr. Anderson referred to a letter from Patty Ann                   
  Polly, the Juneau City Clerk, and asked the committee to                     
  note that HB 49 only addressed Section 15 of the Statutes,                   
  not Section 29, which had to do with municipal elections, so                 
  it wouldn't really affect city elections.                                    
                                                                               
  Number 703                                                                   
                                                                               
  JOHN GAGUINE, Governmental Affairs Section, Attorney                         
  General's Office, testified that they saw no problem with                    
  secrecy and the right to privacy.  Mr. Gaguine said he was                   
  confident that the Division of Elections could come up with                  
  procedures to deal with the issue of secrecy.  He added that                 
  the state was not forcing anyone to vote this way; it was a                  
  matter of choice.                                                            
                                                                               
  REP. PORTER asked Mr. Gaguine if he was saying you can waive                 
  the right to secrecy.                                                        
                                                                               
  Number 733                                                                   
                                                                               
  MR. GAGUINE said no, you cannot waive your right to secrecy.                 
                                                                               
  Number 738                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. PORTER commented that the Division of Elections could                   
  not guarantee secrecy.                                                       
                                                                               
  Number 743                                                                   
                                                                               
  MR. GAGUINE concurred.                                                       
                                                                               
  Number 764                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. PORTER said he would entertain a motion to amend page                   
  3, line 19, change the first two words "and postmarked" to                   
  "and received."                                                              
                                                                               
  AMENDMENT NO. 1 WAS MOVED WITHOUT OBJECTION.                                 
                                                                               
  Number 770                                                                   
                                                                               
  REP. GREEN moved the amended bill out of committee with                      
  individual recommendations, with a fiscal note.                              
                                                                               
  HEARING NO OBJECTIONS, CSHB 49(JUD) WAS MOVED OUT OF                         
  COMMITTEE WITH INDIVIDUAL RECOMMENDATIONS AND A FISCAL NOTE.