03/17/2009 08:00 AM House STATE AFFAIRS

HB 115-PERMANENT ABSENTEE VOTING                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN  announced that  the last order  of business  was HOUSE                                                              
BILL NO.  115, "An  Act establishing  a permanent absentee  voting                                                              
option  for  qualified  voters;  and providing  for  an  effective                                                              
date."                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
9:53:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON  said he does not want [HB 115]  to be held                                                              
over  and subsequently  listed  as  heard and  held  for the  next                                                              
hearing.   He explained  that he  wants to  "properly notice"  the                                                              
bill  so that  the public  will  have an  adequate opportunity  to                                                              
come forward and  testify.  He opined, "I don't think  this is one                                                              
of  those things  that  we want  to have  brought  up under  bills                                                              
previously heard, without plenty of notification."                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
9:53:54 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GATTO concurred.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN said  the committee would hear a quick  introduction to                                                              
HB 115 and, before its next hearing, would "notice the bill."                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:54:09 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  BOB  BUCH,  Alaska  State  Legislature,  as  prime                                                              
sponsor, introduced  HB 115.  He  said the bill would  give voters                                                              
the option to  register for permanent absentee voting  status.  An                                                              
absentee  ballot   would  automatically  be  sent   to  any  voter                                                              
choosing  that  option.    He  commented  on  the  convenience  of                                                              
receiving a  ballot at home  and voting  no matter where  a person                                                              
is.  Representative  Buch reported that permanent  absentee voting                                                              
is gaining  popularity  nationwide; currently,  eight states  have                                                              
it and 21 other  states "have some version of it."   The system in                                                              
Oregon is  the most  commonly known  and has  been in  place since                                                              
the '80s.  Officials  in Oregon were consulted  before drafting HB
.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  BUCH  stated  that  HB  115  would  not  make  any                                                              
changes  to  statutes  or  procedures  that  govern  the  absentee                                                              
voting  process.    The  proposed   bill  only  applies  to  state                                                              
elections - not  local elections.  Alaska voters  would still have                                                              
the option  of requesting  a one-time absentee  ballot or  vote at                                                              
the polls.   The proposed legislation  would take affect  in 2010.                                                              
Representative Buch  predicted those  whom the bill  would benefit                                                              
would include:   soldiers,  miners, North  Slope workers,  and the                                                              
elder population.   The bill would streamline  the absentee voting                                                              
process  for  the  Division  of   Elections  by  cutting  down  on                                                              
paperwork and administrative  costs, and that entity  supports the                                                              
proposed legislation.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:57:10 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  BUCH  described  the [permanent]  absentee  ballot                                                              
application.   He  emphasized that  the  change made  by the  bill                                                              
would be minimal and offer convenience.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:57:49 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  PETERSEN said that  based on  the comments  he has                                                              
received from  his constituents, he  sees the need for  the option                                                              
of permanent absentee voting.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:59:07 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LARRY  BENSON,  American  Postal  Workers Union,  in  response  to                                                              
Representative Lynn, expressed his support of HB 115.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:59:16 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
DORSEY  ROLAND,  National  Association   of  Letter  Carriers,  in                                                              
response  to Representative  Lynn,  expressed  his  support of  HB
.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:59:42 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SEATON  said  he   wants  Representative  Buch  to                                                              
address the  issue of  people moving  out of  state next  time the                                                              
bill is heard.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
10:00:30 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  GATTO  said he  would  like  the bill  sponsor  to                                                              
express  his belief  regarding whether  election  day should  last                                                              
"only a single day."                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
10:01:01 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  JOHNSON said  he would like  the answer  regarding                                                              
voters  moving  to include  discussion  of  how to  monitor  those                                                              
changing districts.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
10:01:12 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WILSON  said  she  wants  to know  how  the  state                                                              
purges  records when  someone  dies.   She  related  that in  some                                                              
states  where the  record is  not purged  frequently, some  people                                                              
have used  the names  of deceased  voters as a  means by  which to                                                              
vote.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
10:01:58 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR LYNN announced that HB 115 was held over.