Legislature(2003 - 2004)
03/24/2004 08:03 AM House STA
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
HB 496-YOUTH VOTE AMBASSADOR PROG/ELECTION BDS Number 1801 CHAIR WEYHRAUCH announced that the last order of business was HOUSE BILL NO. 496, "An Act creating the Youth Vote Ambassador Program and relating to that program; authorizing the members of the program to be appointed to serve on election boards; relating to qualifications for appointment to election boards; and providing for an effective date." Number 1790 KELLY HUBER, Staff to Representative Nancy Dahlstrom, Alaska State Legislature, presented HB 496 on behalf of Representative Dahlstrom, sponsor. She said that, in an effort to bring young people into the election process, HB 496 would allow high school students 16 years and older to participate at the polls as part of the election boards. The youth will be trained by the election supervisor and be assigned to certain election precincts as deemed necessary by the supervisor. Ms. Huber noted that 74 percent of the United States already does this type of program. She said it's a way to get young voters interested - hopefully for life - in the process. MS. HUBER noted that the bill would also amend the qualifications for appointment to the precinct election board, by removing the requirement that a person must live in the precinct [in which he/she would be working]. She explained this amendment was added because, many times, there are a lot of interested youth from one precinct, while not so many in another, and this would give the Division of Elections the ability to move people as long as they are qualified in the state. Number 1731 REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG surmised that the reason for an immediate effective date has to do with the upcoming August election. He asked if that is Ms. Huber's thinking. MS. HUBER replied it is. She added that the youth need to be trained. The effective date makes it possible to let youth know about the opportunity to participate and for them to go through a training process and be available for the upcoming elections. Number 1702 REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG stated that, as a general policy basis, he has never favored legislative findings. He opined that they usually don't add much to the law. He asked if there is a need for legislative findings in the bill. MS. HUBER responded no. She indicated that the Division of Elections [included findings] as a way of explanation. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG responded, "We could do that in those bills." MS. HUBER concurred. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said he thinks [HB 496] is a good bill. Number 1646 MS. HUBER, in response to a question from Chair Weyhrauch, clarified that, typically, a sixteen-year-old would be either a sophomore or junior in high school. Number 1630 REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked Ms. Huber to explain the reason for "taking out the precinct and going back to not involving the people in the precinct as the election ... personnel." MS. HUBER indicated that the bill would not do that. She clarified that the bill would effect a change so that a person would not have to live in the precinct in which he/she works as an election poll worker. She reiterated that this would give the Division of Elections the ability to redirect some qualified personnel from one precinct with many workers, to one with few. REPRESENTATIVE SEATON asked if part of the reason to have workers from their own precinct was so that they are better able to identify the voters as they sign in to vote. MS. HUBER responded that she is sure that was one of the original [reasons to do that]; however, [the Division of Elections] is losing people in some areas and needs this tool in order to have qualified workers in all the precincts. [In regard to the question of better identification], she noted that some form of identification is required. She said she doesn't think that [the Division of Elections] would [transfer people] unless it is necessary to do so. She indicated one reason for the loss of [election workers] in some areas is due to attrition. Number 1531 REPRESENTATIVE SEATON pointed out that the proposed language could result in everyone in Juneau being taken out to run elections in Ketchikan, for example, because the change is to remove the precinct requirement, leaving just the requirement that [the election worker be qualified to work in] the state. MS. HUBER responded that although that is how the bill reads, she does not believe that the Division of Elections intends to do that. She said she thinks the division just needs a little bit more latitude to ensure that there are qualified poll workers in all precinct areas. She noted that Leonard Jones is available from the Division of Elections to answer questions. She indicated that HB 496 is intended as a management tool. Number 1469 REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL said his thinking is like that of Representative Seaton's. He stated that one of the goals of the election policy is "to try to keep it as close to the people as possible." He mentioned "broadening it out to the state." He said, "I think there's already some practice going on in this arena, and we might ask the Division of Elections ... if they've actually stepped over this line." He opined, "At the very least, I think we should stay within a district, mainly because of citizen re-participation in their own district." He noted that Representative Carl Morgan's district is "the horseshoe district that takes in the bulk of the land of Alaska." He suggested that district might run into some problems. He concluded that he would "err towards the side of keeping it [as] close to the precinct as possible." Number 1413 REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG turned to a handout [entitled "New Millennium Best Practices Survey," included in the committee packet], which he said shows how other states handle "the youth vote ambassador kind of a concept." Referring to the title of the bill, he said he is not sure that the term "youth vote ambassador program" is the most accurate description. He asked if that is a term that is used in other states. Number 1374 LEONARD JONES, Elections Special Assistant, Division of Elections, Office of the Lieutenant Governor, answering questions on behalf of the division, told Representative Gruenberg that there are a variety of terms used in various states to name similar programs. He noted some other names that have been considered by the division. The bottom line is to involve the young people of the state of Alaska in the process of voting and in learning the mechanics of the operation within the election process. Number 1295 REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG brought attention to page 2, line 6 of the bill, which requires the youth to be a student age 16 or older. He asked if 16 is the lowest common age chosen by other states. MR. JONES said 16 is the most common age. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG noted that in some states, there are limits as to what the youth can do. He asked Mr. Jones what he thinks the young people would do and how did the division arrive at its conclusion, rather than perhaps setting a more restrictive role. Number 1235 MR. JONES said the election board, when set up in the precincts, will be made up of "two possible youth ambassadors." They will be working with other adults and under the supervision of an election supervisor who will be "moving between these areas." He indicated that [the youth] could be serving as runners and helping with the setup, and they may - under supervision of another qualified adult - get to check off names, based on the identification provided by the voter. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG asked if there is language in the bill that clarifies that. MR. JONES turned to the new language on [page 2, beginning on line 29], which read as follows: An election supervisor may also appoint not more than two members of the youth vote ambassador program established in AS 15.10.108 to serve on a precinct election board. Number 1166 REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL suggested that to clarify that point, perhaps it could be stated what the "combination of people" would be on a precinct board. He asked if [the board] would always be limited to a number, or is "maximized by number." He asked what the rest of the committee's makeup would be if two members of the committee were youth workers. Number 1154 REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG pointed to [page 2], lines 17-18, which read as follows: AS.15.10.120. A program member who is appointed to serve on an election board under this subsection serves under the supervision of the chairperson for that board. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG offered an example that there may be three people, but the adult supervisor takes a bathroom break, leaving the two youths alone. He asked what would prevent that in the bill. Number 1115 MS. HUBER said she thinks that part of the job of the supervisor at the polling place is to make sure that doesn't happen. She said the supervisors are trained through the Division of Elections. She surmised that there's a trust that the division would not leave two youth "manning" a polling place. Number 1098 REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL concurred with Ms. Huber. He said, "But it says, 'At least three', so we know that the makeup is going to be at least five at this point." He explained that he just wants to know whether the general makeup would be six or eight, for example, and would the workers [give each other breaks]. Number 1080 MR. JONES indicated that it would depend. For example, he said that there would be a smaller number of people working in rural areas. He offered to get information to the committee that would show what the division considers when it sets up the "precinct election booklets." Number 1064 CHAIR WEYHRAUCH noted that, currently, the language of the bill makes compensation of the youth mandatory. He asked if it had to be that way. He surmised that would create a fiscal impact. He noted that [AS] 15.15.380 directs the director to pay each election board member. Number 1040 MS. HUBER turned to [subsection (c), on page 2], which read: (c) An election supervisor may appoint a member of the youth vote ambassador program to serve on a precinct election board appointed under AS 15.19.120. A program member who is appointed to serve on an election board under this subsection serves under the supervision of the chairperson for that board. MS. HUBER also noted [subsection (e), on page 2], which read as follows: (e) A member of the program may provide unpaid volunteer services related to education and outreach on state elections as directed by, and under the supervision of, the director of elections. CHAIR WEYHRAUCH asked, "So is it to be volunteer or paid?" MS. HUBER responded, "Good question." CHAIR WEYHRAUCH told Ms. Huber that the committee likes the bill, but has questions regarding it that may result in amendments. Number 0990 REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL noted that there is some regulatory authority already regarding selecting people out of precincts, which he said looks like "it goes contrary to statute that's already in existence." He suggested it would be good to find out if that's a practice that has already somehow been written into some regulatory policy. He added, "I'd like to call that in, if that's the case." Number 0953 REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG asked if, by law, there is a minimum number of people on an election board. Number 0948 MR. JONES said he would have to review the regulations specifically in order to answer that question. REPRESENTATIVE COGHILL noted that Section 3 designates "at least three qualified voters". Number 0931 REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG turned to page 2, lines [26-31], which read as follows: *Sec.3. AS 15.10.120(a) is amended to read: (a) An election supervisor shall appoint in each precinct within the election supervisor's district an election board composed of at least three qualified voters registered to vote in this state [THAT PRECINCT]. An election supervisor may also appoint not more than two members of the youth vote ambassador program established in AS 15.10.108 to serve on a precinct election board. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG said he interprets that language to mean that two of the three people could be youths. Number 0890 MS. HUBER noted that the language within those lines states that [the election supervisor] "may also appoint", and she emphasized the word "also". She indicated her understanding of the language is that [the two members of the youth vote ambassador program would be] in addition to the three [workers over the age of 18]. She suggested that that language could be clarified in a committee substitute. REPRESENTATIVE GRUENBERG indicated that the language should be clarified to read, "in addition to the other three." He stated his understanding that one of the purposes of the election board people is to determine the qualifications of an individual voter, if there is a challenge "right there." He opined it would not be good public policy to allow youths to be able to make up a majority of the board and maybe determine whether some adult gets to vote or not. MS. HUBER said she thinks the sponsor will [agree to] most of the changes that the committee has discussed. Number 0842 CHAIR WEYHRAUCH announced that HB 496 was heard and held.
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