01/27/2011 09:00 AM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

               SB  31-COUNTING OF WRITE-IN VOTES                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
9:02:49 AM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI  announced consideration  of SB 31.  [CSSB 31,                                                               
27-LS0350\B, was before the committee.]                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR KOOKESH joined the meeting.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
GRIER HOPKINS,  staff to  Senator Joe Thomas,  stated that  SB 31                                                               
intends to  clarify Alaska statute by  using language recommended                                                               
in the Miller  v Treadwell decision of the  Alaska Supreme Court.                                                               
The language  is nearly  identical to  the Federal  Uniformed and                                                               
Overseas Citizens' Absentee  Voting Act. He explained  that SB 31                                                               
follows on  the heels  of nearly  50 years  of court  findings in                                                               
favor of voter intent. The first goal  of SB 31 is to ensure that                                                               
as many Alaskans  as possible are enfranchised,  while the second                                                               
goal  is  to  tighten  our  state  statutes  and  strengthen  the                                                               
public's perception of Alaska's democratic process.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR PASKVAN  moved to report  CS for  SB 31, version  B, from                                                               
committee with  individual recommendations and  accompanying zero                                                               
fiscal note(s).                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR WIELECHOWSKI announced that  without objection CSSB 31(STA)                                                               
moved from the Senate State Affairs Standing Committee.