00 CS FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 257(STA) 01 "An Act relating to voter qualification, disqualification, and registration; relating 02 to voter registration officials and election personnel; relating to election notices; 03 relating to mail elections; relating to certain election procedures; relating to the 04 transportation of ballots; and relating to the official election pamphlet." 05 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 06 * Section 1. AS 14.08 is amended by adding a new section to read: 07  Sec. 14.08.082. Elections by mail. Elections supervised by the lieutenant 08 governor under AS 14.08.071 and 14.08.081 may be conducted by mail as permitted 09 by AS 15.20.800. 10 * Sec. 2. AS 15.07.010 is amended to read: 11  Sec. 15.07.010. Registration of voters. The precinct election judges at any 12 election shall allow a person to vote whose name is on the official registration list for 13 that precinct and who is qualified under AS 15.05. A person whose name is not on 14 the official registration list shall be allowed to vote a  special review  [QUESTIONED] 01 ballot. 02 * Sec. 3. AS 15.07.070(h) is amended to read: 03  (h) The director shall design the form of the voter's certificate appearing on 04 the envelope that is used for voting a  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot so that 05 all information required for registration by AS 15.07.060(a) may be obtained from a 06 voter who votes a  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot. If the voter voting a  special 07 review  [QUESTIONED] ballot has completed all information on the voter registration 08 portion of the  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot voter's certificate, the director 09 shall place the name of the voter on the official registration list. 10 * Sec. 4. AS 15.07.090(a) is amended to read: 11  (a) A voter whose name is changed by marriage or court order may vote under 12 the previous name, but a voter who desires to use a new name shall vote a  special 13 review  [QUESTIONED] ballot. 14 * Sec. 5. AS 15.07.090(c) is amended to read: 15  (c) The director shall transfer the registration of a voter from one precinct to 16 another within an election district when requested by the voter. The request shall be 17 made 30 or more days before the election day. The director shall transfer the 18 registration of a voter from one election district to another when requested by the 19 voter. The voter must reside in the new election district for at least 30 days in order 20 to vote  for that district's candidates . 21 * Sec. 6. AS 15.07.090(d) is amended to read: 22  (d) A person who claims to be a registered voter, but for whom no evidence 23 of registration in the precinct can be found, shall be granted the right to vote in the 24 same manner as that of a [QUESTIONED] voter  whose ballot is subject to special 25 review,  and the ballot shall be treated in the same manner. The ballot shall be 26 considered to be a " special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot" and shall be so designated. 27 The director or the director's representative shall determine whether the voter is 28 registered in the election district before counting the ballot. A voter who has failed 29 to obtain a transfer as provided in (c) of this section shall vote a " special review  30 [QUESTIONED] ballot" in the precinct in which the voter resides. 31 * Sec. 7. AS 15.07.100 is amended to read: 01  Sec. 15.07.100. Registration officials. (a) The director shall appoint one or 02 more  persons to serve as  registration officials in each precinct. When more than one 03 registration official is appointed to serve in a precinct, each political party shall be 04 represented. However, any precinct containing more than 250 voters must have at least 05 two registration officials, one from each political party. The registration official shall 06 be a qualified state voter and shall take an oath to honestly, faithfully ,  and promptly 07 perform the duties of the office. 08  (b) Training for registration officials  appointed under (a) of this section  shall 09 be provided by the director. On the completion of training, the director may require 10 that officials demonstrate their competence by a test or other method. 11  (c) A registration official  appointed under (a) of this section serves at the 12 pleasure of the director. Each  such  registration official shall be periodically evaluated 13 by the director based on the completeness of the registration forms, timely filing of 14 registration forms, and the voter registration activity attributed to the registration 15 official. 16  (d) A registration official  appointed under (a) of this section shall transmit 17 completed voter registration forms to the election supervisor within five days following 18 completion by the voter. 19 * Sec. 8. AS 15.07.100 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 20  (e) In addition to registration officials appointed under (a) of this section, 21 election board judges and clerks appointed under AS 15.10.120 - 15.10.150 serve as 22 registration officials at the polls on election day. 23 * Sec. 9. AS 15.07.130(d) is amended to read: 24  (d) The notice described in (b) of this section must include a postage prepaid 25 and pre-addressed return card on which the voter may state the voter's current address. 26 The notice must indicate 27  (1) that the voter should return the card not later than 30 days before 28 the next primary election if the voter did not change residence; 29  (2) that the voter may vote only a  special review  [QUESTIONED] or 30 absentee ballot if the voter does not return the card at least 30 days before the next 31 primary election; 01  (3) that the voter's registration will be cancelled if the voter does not 02 vote or appear to vote in an election held during the period beginning on the date of 03 the notice and ending on the day after the last day of the fourth calendar year that 04 occurs after the date of notice; and 05  (4) how the voter can continue to be eligible to vote if the voter has 06 changed residence. 07 * Sec. 10. AS 15.15.030 is amended by adding a new paragraph to read: 08  (14) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, the director may 09 provide for voting by use of optically scanned ballots where optical scanning 10 equipment is available. 11 * Sec. 11. AS 15.15.070(b) is amended to read 12  (b) The notice shall be given by publication at least twice in one or more 13 newspapers of general circulation in each of the four  judicial  [MAJOR ELECTION] 14 districts. The printed notice  must  [SHALL] specifically include [BUT IS NOT 15 LIMITED TO] the date of election, the hours between which the polling places will 16 be open, the offices to which candidates are to be nominated or elected, and the 17 subject of the propositions and questions  that  [WHICH] are to be voted on. 18 * Sec. 12. AS 15.15.070(h) is amended to read: 19  (h) An abbreviated form of the notice published under (b) of this section shall 20 be broadcast on one or more radio or television stations in each of the four judicial 21 districts. The broadcast notice must include at a minimum the date of the election, the 22 hours between which the polling places will be open,  and the address, phone 23 number, and e-mail address of the election supervisor or supervisors for the 24 judicial district [THE NAMES OF THE NEWSPAPERS] in which the notice is 25 broadcast [PUBLISHED, AND THE DATES OF PUBLICATION IN THE 26 NEWSPAPERS]. 27 * Sec. 13. AS 15.15.198 is amended to read: 28  Sec. 15.15.198. Voter not on official registration list. (a) If a voter's name 29 does not appear on the official registration list in the precinct in which the voter seeks 30 to vote, the election judge shall affirmatively advise the voter that the voter may cast 31 a  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot and the voter shall be allowed to vote a 01  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot. 02  (b) A person whose registration is inactive under AS 15.07.130(b) and who 03 votes a  special review  [QUESTIONED] or absentee ballot shall have the ballot 04 counted if 05  (1) the person was registered to vote for either of the two most recent 06 general elections; 07  (2) the person signs a statement to that effect; and 08  (3) the earlier registration is verified by the director. 09 * Sec. 14. AS 15.15.215(a) is amended to read: 10  (a) A voter who casts a  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot shall vote the 11 ballot in the same manner as prescribed for other voters. The voter shall insert the 12 ballot into a secrecy sleeve, the election judge shall remove the numbered stub from 13 the ballot, and the voter shall put the secrecy sleeve into an envelope on which the 14 statement the voter previously signed is located. The envelope shall be sealed and 15 deposited in the ballot box. When the ballot box is opened, the envelopes shall be 16 segregated, counted, compared to the voting list, and delivered to the official or body 17 supervising the election. The merits of the question shall be determined by this 18 official or body in accordance with the procedure prescribed for  special review  19 [QUESTIONED] votes in AS 15.20.207. 20 * Sec. 15. AS 15.15.225(c) is amended to read: 21  (c) A voter who cannot exhibit a required form of identification shall be 22 allowed to vote a  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot. 23 * Sec. 16. AS 15.15.350(a) is amended to read: 24  (a) The director may adopt regulations prescribing the manner in which the 25 precinct ballot count is accomplished so as to assure accuracy in the count and to 26 expedite the process. The election board shall account for all ballots by completing 27 a ballot statement containing (1) the number of official ballots received; (2) the number 28 of official ballots voted; (3) the number of official ballots spoiled; (4) the number of 29 official ballots unused and destroyed. The board shall count the number of  special 30 review  [QUESTIONED] ballots and shall compare that number to the number of 31 [QUESTIONED] voters  whose ballots are subject to special review  in the register. 01 Discrepancies shall be noted and the numbers included in the certificate prescribed by 02 AS 15.15.370. The election board shall count the ballots in a manner that allows 03 watchers to see the ballots when opened and read.  A  [NO] person handling the ballot 04 after it has been taken from the ballot box and before it is placed in the envelope for 05 mailing may  not  have a marking device in hand or remove a ballot from the 06 immediate vicinity of the polls. 07 * Sec. 17. AS 15.15.380 is amended to read: 08  Sec. 15.15.380. Payment of election board members. The director shall pay 09 each election board member for time spent at election duties, including the receiving 10 of instructions. Election board  chair  [CHAIRMEN] and the  chair  [CHAIRMAN] and 11 members of the absentee ballot,  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot ,  and state 12 ballot counting review boards shall be paid for time spent at their election duties. The 13 director shall set the compensation to be paid under this section by regulation. 14 * Sec. 18. AS 15.15.430(a) is amended to read: 15  (a) The review of ballot counting by the director shall include only  a review  16  (1) [A REVIEW] and comparison of the tallies of hand-marked ballots 17 in the election poll books with the precinct election certificates to correct any 18 mathematical error in the count of hand-marked ballots; 19  (2) [A REVIEW] of the tallies of write-in votes and a review of 20 election certificates as provided by law from precincts using punch-card ballots; 21  (3) [A REVIEW] of absentee and  special review  [QUESTIONED] 22 ballots as prescribed by law. 23 * Sec. 19. AS 15.20.015 is amended to read: 24  Sec. 15.20.015. Moving from election district just before election. A person 25 who meets all voter qualifications except that listed in AS 15.05.010(4) is qualified to 26 vote by absentee ballot in the election district in which the person formerly resided if 27 the person lived in that election district for at least 30 days immediately before 28 changing residence ; however, the person's ballot shall be counted under 29 AS 15.20.211(a) . 30 * Sec. 20. AS 15.20.071 is repealed and reenacted to read: 31  Sec. 15.20.071. Absentee voting by personal representative. (a) A qualified 01 voter with a disability who, because of that disability, is unable to go to a polling place 02 to vote may vote an absentee ballot through a personal representative. 03  (b) The voter must apply in writing to the following election officials, at the 04 times specified, for an absentee ballot: 05  (1) to an absentee voting official on or after the 15th day before an 06 election, up to and including the day of the election; 07  (2) to an election supervisor 08  (A) after a date announced by the director under 09 AS 15.20.048(b); and 10  (B) on or after the 15th day before an election up to and 11 including the day of the election; 12  (3) to an absentee voting official at an absentee voting station 13 designated under AS 15.20.045(b) at a time when the absentee voting station is in 14 operation; or 15  (4) to a member of the precinct election board on election day. 16  (c) The voter's application must include the following: 17  (1) the name and full residence address of the voter; 18  (2) a form of identification for the voter that meets the requirements 19 established by the director for absentee voting by mail under AS 15.20.081(f); 20  (3) the full name of the personal representative; and 21  (4) the voter's signature or mark. 22  (d) The election official shall issue the ballot and voter's certificate, which 23 includes the date and location from which the ballot was issued, upon 24  (1) receipt of the written application of the voter that meets the 25 requirements of (c) of this section; 26  (2) presentation of identification by the personal representative; and 27  (3) completion by the personal representative of a certification that 28 includes the personal representative's name, residence and mailing addresses, type and 29 number of identification, and signature and the name of the voter on whose behalf the 30 ballot is requested. 31  (e) The personal representative shall deliver the absentee ballot and other 01 absentee voting materials to the voter as soon as practicable. The voter shall proceed 02 to mark the ballot in secret, to place the ballot in the secrecy sleeve, and to place the 03 secrecy sleeve in the envelope provided. On the voter's certificate portion of the 04 envelope, the voter shall state the name of the personal representative who delivered 05 the absentee ballot, shall state that, because of a disability, the voter is unable to go 06 to a polling place to vote, and shall sign the voter's certificate in the presence of the 07 personal representative. The personal representative shall witness and date the 08 signature of the voter. The voter shall return the absentee ballot to the personal 09 representative by a time reasonably calculated to be necessary for the personal 10 representative to deliver the material to an election official before 8:00 p.m. on election 11 day. The personal representative shall 12  (1) deliver the ballot and voter certificate to an election official not 13 later than 8:00 p.m. on election day; and 14  (2) certify on the form requested under (d)(3) of this section the date 15 and time the voter's absentee ballot and certificate were delivered to the election 16 official. 17  (f) Notwithstanding (e) of this section, if a qualified voter's disability 18 precludes the voter from performing any of the requirements of (e) of this section, the 19 personal representative may perform those requirements on the voter's behalf, except 20 the voting decision. 21  (g) The voter's employer, an agent of the voter's employer, or an officer or 22 agent of the voter's union may not act as a personal representative for the voter. A 23 candidate for office at an election may not act as a personal representative for a voter 24 in the election. 25 * Sec. 21. AS 15.20.081(b) is amended to read: 26  (b) An application requesting delivery of an absentee ballot to the applicant 27 by mail must be received by the division of elections not less than seven days before 28 the election for which the absentee ballot is sought. An application for an absentee 29 ballot for a state election from a qualified voter requesting delivery of an absentee 30 ballot to the applicant by electronic transmission must be received by the division of 31 elections not  later than 5:00 p.m. Alaska time on the day  [LESS THAN FOUR 01 DAYS] before the election for which the absentee ballot is sought. An absentee ballot 02 application submitted by mail under this section must permit the person to register to 03 vote under AS 15.07.070 and to request an absentee ballot for each state election held 04 within that calendar year for which the voter is eligible to vote. An absentee ballot 05 application submitted by electronic transmission under this section may not include a 06 provision that permits a person to register to vote under AS 15.07.070. 07 * Sec. 22. AS 15.20.190 is amended to read: 08  Sec. 15.20.190. Appointment, duties, and compensation of district counting 09 boards. (a) Thirty days before the date of an election, the election supervisors shall 10 appoint, in the same manner provided for the appointment of election judges prescribed 11 in AS 15.10.150, district absentee ballot counting boards and district  special review  12 [QUESTIONED] ballot counting boards, each composed of at least four members. At 13 least one member of each board must be a member of the same political party of 14 which the governor is a member, and at least one member of each board must be a 15 member of the political party whose candidate for governor received the second largest 16 number of votes in the preceding gubernatorial election. The district boards shall 17 assist the election supervisors in counting the absentee and  special review  18 [QUESTIONED] ballots and shall receive the same compensation paid election judges 19 under AS 15.15.380. 20  (b) The election supervisor shall appoint a counting team or teams to aid the 21 district absentee ballot counting board in counting absentee ballots and the district 22  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot counting board in counting  special review  23 [QUESTIONED] ballots. There shall be four counters on each counting team, no more 24 than two of whom may be members of the same political party. 25 * Sec. 23. AS 15.20.205 is amended to read: 26  Sec. 15.20.205. District examination of special review ballots [TIME OF 27 DISTRICT QUESTIONED BALLOT COUNTING REVIEW]. (a) On the second 28 day following the day of the election, the election supervisor or the supervisor's 29 designee, in the presence and with the assistance of the district  special review  30 [QUESTIONED] ballot counting board, shall  examine  [REVIEW] all voter certificates 31 of  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballots received by that date. The  examination  01 [REVIEW] of  the special review [QUESTIONED] ballots shall continue at times 02 designated by the election supervisor until completed. 03  (b) Counting of  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballots  that  [WHICH] have 04 been  examined  [REVIEWED] shall begin on the third day following the day of the 05 election and shall continue at times designated by the election supervisor until all 06  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballots  examined  [REVIEWED] and eligible for 07 counting have been counted. The counting teams shall report the count to the district 08  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot counting board. 09  (c) The district  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot counting board shall 10 certify the  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot totals as soon as the count is 11 completed but no later than the 10th day following the election. 12  (d)  Special review  [QUESTIONED] ballots received after certification of the 13 count shall be forwarded immediately to the director by the most expeditious service. 14 * Sec. 24. AS 15.20.207 is amended to read: 15  Sec. 15.20.207. Procedure for district special review [QUESTIONED] 16 ballot examination [REVIEW] . (a) The district  special review  [QUESTIONED] 17 ballot counting board shall examine each  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot 18 envelope and shall determine whether the [QUESTIONED] voter  whose ballot is 19 subject to special review  is qualified to vote at the election and whether the  special 20 review  [QUESTIONED] ballot has been properly cast. 21 * Sec. 25. AS 15.20.207(b) is amended to read: 22  (b) A  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot may not be counted if 23  (1) the voter has failed to properly execute the certificate; or 24  (2) an official or the witnesses authorized by law to attest the voter's 25 certificate fail to execute the certificate. 26 * Sec. 26. AS 15.20.207(c) is amended to read: 27  (c) Any person present at the district  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot 28  examination  [REVIEW] may challenge the name of a [QUESTIONED] voter  whose 29 ballot is subject to special review  when read from the voter's certificate on the 30 envelope if the person has good reason to suspect that the [QUESTIONED] voter 31  whose ballot is subject to special review  is not qualified to vote, is disqualified, or 01 has voted at the same election. The person making the challenge shall specify the 02 basis of the challenge in writing. The district  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot 03 counting board by majority vote may refuse to accept and count the  special review  04 [QUESTIONED] ballot of a person properly challenged under grounds listed in (b) of 05 this section. 06 * Sec. 27. AS 15.20.207(d) is amended to read: 07  (d) The election supervisor shall place all rejected  special review  08 [QUESTIONED] ballots in a separate envelope with statements of challenge. The 09 envelope shall be labeled "rejected  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballots" and shall 10 be forwarded to the director with the election certificates and other returns. 11 * Sec. 28. AS 15.20.207(e) is amended to read: 12  (e) If a  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot is not rejected, the envelope 13 shall be opened and the secrecy sleeve containing the  special review  [QUESTIONED] 14 ballot shall be placed in a container and mixed with other secrecy sleeves containing 15  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballots. 16 * Sec. 29. AS 15.20.207(f) is amended to read: 17  (f) The secrecy sleeves shall be drawn from the container, the  special review  18 [QUESTIONED] ballots shall be removed from the secrecy sleeves, and the  special 19 review  [QUESTIONED] ballots counted at the times specified in AS 15.20.205 and 20 according to the rules for determining properly marked ballots in AS 15.15.360. 21 * Sec. 30. AS 15.20.207(g) is amended to read: 22 (g) Upon completion of the  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot  examination  23 [REVIEW], the election supervisor shall prepare an election certificate for execution by the 24 district  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot counting board [,] and shall forward the 25 original certificate and returns to the director as soon as the count is completed but no later 26 than the 11th day following the election. 27 * Sec. 31. AS 15.20.207(h) is amended to read: 28  (h) The director shall prepare and mail to each [QUESTIONED] voter whose 29  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot was rejected under this section a summary of 30 the reason that the challenge to the  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot was upheld 31 and the  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot was rejected. 01 * Sec. 32. AS 15.20.207(j) is amended to read: 02  (j) In addition to mailing the materials under (i)(1) of this section, for a 03 [QUESTIONED] voter whose  special review  [QUESTIONED] primary election ballot 04 was rejected, not later than the deadline set out in (i)(1) of this section, the director 05 shall 06  (1) determine whether, from the information obtained under 07 AS 15.07.070(h), the voter's name may be entered on the voter registration list; 08  (2) if the voter is eligible, register the voter in accordance with the 09 information submitted by the voter under AS 15.07.070(h); and 10  (3) confirm or deny the registration  under this subsection  by written 11 notice mailed to the voter. 12 * Sec. 33. AS 15.20.211(a) is amended to read: 13  (a) If a qualified voter of the state votes a ballot for an election district other 14 than the election district in which the voter is registered, the votes cast for statewide 15 candidates and for statewide ballot propositions and statewide questions shall be 16 counted. If the qualified voter voted for a candidate for the state senate from the 17 senate district in which the voter is a resident, the vote shall be counted.  If the 18 qualified voter voted on a judicial retention question in the judicial district in 19 which the voter is a resident, the vote shall be counted.  The votes cast for 20 candidates or ballot propositions or questions not appearing on the ballot of the district 21 in which the voter is a resident may not be counted. 22 * Sec. 34. AS 15.20.211(e) is amended to read: 23  (e) In addition to mailing the materials under (d)(1) of this section, for a 24 [QUESTIONED] voter whose  special review  [QUESTIONED] primary election ballot 25 was partially counted, not later than the deadline set out in (d)(1) of this section, the 26 director shall 27  (1) determine whether, from the information obtained under 28 AS 15.07.070(h), the voter's name may be entered on the voter registration list; 29  (2) if the voter is eligible, register the voter in accordance with the 30 information submitted by the voter under AS 15.07.070(h); and 31  (3) confirm or deny the registration  under this subsection  by written 01 notice mailed to the voter. 02 * Sec. 35. AS 15.20.220 is amended to read: 03  Sec. 15.20.220. Procedure for state review. (a) When the director and 04 appointed party representatives have completed the review of ballots cast at the voting 05 precincts, they shall proceed to review the absentee and  special review  06 [QUESTIONED] ballot votes certified by the district counting boards. The review of 07 the absentee and  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballot vote certified by the district 08 counting boards shall be accomplished by reviewing the tallies of the recorded vote to 09 check for mathematical error and by comparing the totals with the election certificate 10 of results. 11  (b) The state review board shall review and count absentee ballots under 12 AS 15.20.081(e) and (h) and  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballots that have been 13 forwarded to the director and that have not been reviewed or counted by a district 14 counting board. 15 * Sec. 36. AS 15.20.480 is amended to read: 16  Sec. 15.20.480. Procedure for recount. In conducting the recount, the 17 director shall review all ballots whether the ballots were counted at the precinct or by 18 computer or by the district absentee counting board or the  special review  19 [QUESTIONED] ballot counting board to determine which ballots, or part of ballots, 20 were properly marked and which ballots are to be counted in the recount, and shall 21 check the accuracy of the original count, the precinct certificate and the review. The 22 director shall check the number of ballots and  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballots 23 cast in a precinct against the registers and shall check absentee ballots voted against 24 absentee ballots distributed. The director shall count absentee ballots received before 25 the completion of the recount. For administrative purposes, the director may join and 26 include two or more applications in a single review and count of votes. The rules in 27 AS 15.15.360 governing the counting of hand-marked ballots and the rules in 28 AS 15.20.730 governing the counting of punch-card ballots shall be followed in the 29 recount. The ballots and other election material must remain in the custody of the 30 director during the recount ,  and the highest degree of care shall be exercised to protect 31 the ballots against alteration or mutilation. The recount shall be completed within 10 01 days. The director may employ additional personnel necessary to assist in the recount. 02  * Sec. 37. AS 15.20.620(b) is amended to read: 03  (b) In addition to the test specified in (a) of this section, other tests shall be 04 made to ensure that the system is functioning properly 05  (1) at least one day before the election at a time specified by the data 06 processing review board presiding officer; 07  (2) on the day of the election one hour before the polls close; 08  (3) immediately after the final vote tabulation is complete; 09  (4) approximately one hour before the processing of the  special review  10 [QUESTIONED] and absentee ballots; and 11  (5) immediately after the final vote tabulation of  special review  12 [QUESTIONED] and absentee ballots is complete. 13 * Sec. 38. AS 15.20.640(c) is amended to read: 14  (c) The ballots containing write-in votes shall be banded together and placed 15 behind the other undamaged ballot cards  that  [WHICH] have been voted. The 16 envelope containing  special review  [QUESTIONED] ballots shall be banded to the 17 computer-ready ballots, and the bundle placed in a special container and sealed, with 18 the seal signed by the election board members. 19 * Sec. 39. AS 15.20.670 is amended to read: 20  Sec. 15.20.670. Receipt of ballots by control board. The control board shall 21  (1) cut the seal and remove all ballots and envelopes from the special 22 container; 23  (2) insert the proper header and end cards [INTO THE BALLOTS]; 24  (3) place the ballot bundles and unprocessable ballots envelope in a tray 25 for delivery to the computer room; and 26  (4) give the  envelopes  [ENVELOPE] containing  special review  27 [QUESTIONED] ballots to the election supervisor. 28 * Sec. 40. AS 15.20.700(a) is amended to read: 29  (a) The ballots  that  [WHICH] have been counted in the computer room shall 30 be sealed by the data processing review board or the designated counting team. The 31 sealed ballots shall then be transported to a designated place of security. The  special 01 review  [QUESTIONED] ballots shall be sealed and given to the election supervisor 02 for tallying. 03 * Sec. 41. AS 15.20.740 is amended to read: 04  Sec. 15.20.740. Special review [QUESTIONED] punch-card ballots. The 05 procedure for  examining  [REVIEWING] and counting  special review  06 [QUESTIONED] punch-card ballots is the same procedure established in AS 15.20.205 07 and 15.20.207 for hand-marked ballots except that  special review  [QUESTIONED] 08 punch-card ballots may be processed by the computer from the third through the 10th 09 day following the election. The data processing review board shall supervise the count 10 and shall follow the procedure established in AS 15.20.680 and 15.20.685. 11 * Sec. 42. AS 15.20.800(a) is amended to read: 12  (a) The director may conduct an election by mail if it is held at a time other 13 than when the general, [PARTY] primary, or municipal election is held. 14 * Sec. 43. AS 15.20 is amended by adding a new section to read: 15 Article 6. Optically Scanned Voting. 16  Sec. 15.20.900. Optically scanned ballot tabulation. (a) Notwithstanding 17 any other provisions of this title, the director may adopt regulations that provide 18 procedures for the tabulation of optically scanned ballots, including procedures for 19  (1) tests of the counting programs developed for each precinct tabulator 20 to ensure that the system is functioning properly; 21  (2) security for the voting and tabulation of ballots; 22  (3) the transmission and accumulation of vote totals to assure the 23 integrity of the vote counting process; 24  (4) observation by the public of the counting process in the regional 25 offices; and 26  (5) the disposition of ballots. 27  (b) The state ballot counting review board established under AS 15.10.180 28 shall test the counting programs for the tabulation of optically scanned ballots and 29 certify their accuracy in accordance with the regulations adopted under (a) of this 30 section. 31 * Sec. 44. AS 15.58.020 is amended to read: 01  Sec. 15.58.020. Contents of pamphlet. Each election pamphlet  must  02 [SHALL] contain 03  (1) photographs and campaign statements submitted by eligible 04 candidates for elective office in the region; 05  (2) information and recommendations filed under AS 15.58.050 on 06 judicial officers subject to a retention election in the region; 07  (3) a map of the election district or districts of the region; 08  (4) sample ballots for election districts of the region; 09  (5) an absentee ballot application; 10  (6) for each ballot proposition submitted to the voters by initiative or 11 referendum petition or by the legislature, 12  (A) the full text of the proposition specifying constitutional or 13 statutory provisions proposed to be affected; 14  (B) the ballot title and the summary of the proposition prepared 15 by the director or by the lieutenant governor; 16  (C) a neutral summary of the proposition prepared by the 17 Legislative Affairs Agency; 18  (D) statements submitted which advocate voter approval or 19 rejection of the proposition not to exceed 500 words; 20  (7) for each bond question, a statement of the scope of each project as 21 it appears in the bond authorization; 22  (8) a maximum of two pages of material submitted by each political 23 party; 24  (9) additional information on voting procedures that the lieutenant 25 governor considers necessary; 26  (10) for the question whether a constitutional convention shall be 27 called, 28  (A) a full statement of the question placed on the ballot; 29  (B) statements not to exceed 500 words that advocate voter 30 approval or rejection of the question ; 31  (11) under AS 37.13.170, the Alaska permanent fund annual income 01 statement and balance sheet for the two fiscal years preceding the publication of 02 the election pamphlet . 03 * Sec. 45. AS 15.58.030(a) is amended to read: 04  (a) No later than  August 30  [JULY 15] of a presidential election year, 05 candidates for the offices of the United States President and Vice-President may file 06 with the lieutenant governor photographs and statements advocating their candidacy. 07 * Sec. 46. AS 15.58.030(d) is amended to read: 08  (d) Pages on which candidates' photographs or statements appear must be 09 clearly identified with the words " provided and  paid for by the candidate." 10 * Sec. 47. AS 15.58.030(f) is amended to read: 11  (f) A candidate's photograph must be [A] 5" x 7"  in size and must have been 12 [BLACK AND WHITE GLOSSY PRINT] taken within the past five years. The 13 photograph must be limited to the head, neck ,  and shoulders of the candidate. 14 * Sec. 48. AS 23.20.526(d) is amended to read: 15  (d) For the purposes of AS 23.20.525(a)(4) - (6) and (14), the term 16 "employment" does not apply to service performed 17  (1) by a duly ordained, commissioned, or licensed minister of a church 18 in the exercise of the person's ministry or by a member of a religious order in the 19 exercise of duties required by the order; 20  (2) in a facility conducted for the purpose of carrying out a program 21 of rehabilitation for individuals whose earning capacity is impaired by age or physical 22 or mental deficiency or injury or providing remunerative work for individuals who, 23 because of their impaired physical or mental capacity, cannot be readily absorbed in 24 the competitive labor market by an individual receiving the rehabilitation or 25 remunerative work; 26  (3) as part of an unemployment work-relief or work-training program 27 assisted or financed in whole or in part by any federal agency or any agency of a state 28 or political subdivision of the state, by an individual receiving work relief or work 29 training; 30  (4) for a state hospital by an inmate of a prison or correctional 31 institution; 01  (5) in the employ of a school, college, or university [,] if the service 02 is performed by a student who is enrolled and is regularly attending classes at the 03 school, college, or university; 04  (6) by an individual under the age of 22 who is enrolled at a nonprofit 05 or public educational institution  that  [WHICH] normally maintains a regular faculty 06 and curriculum and normally has a regularly organized body of students in attendance 07 at the place where its educational activities are carried on as a student in a full-time 08 program, taken for credit at the institution, which combines academic instruction with 09 work experience [,] if the service is an integral part of the program [,] and the 10 institution has so certified to the employer, except that this paragraph does not apply 11 to service performed in a program established for or on behalf of an employer or group 12 of employers; 13  (7) in the employ of a hospital [,] if the service is performed by a 14 patient of the hospital, as defined in AS 23.20.520; 15  (8) in the employ of the state or a political subdivision of the state if 16 the service is performed by an individual in the exercise of duties 17  (A) as a "public official" as defined in AS 39.50.200(a), any 18 other elected official, the fiscal analyst of the legislative finance division, the 19 legislative auditor of the legislative audit division, the executive director of the 20 Legislative Affairs Agency, and the directors of the divisions within the 21 Legislative Affairs Agency; 22  (B) as a member of the Alaska Army National Guard or Alaska 23 Air National Guard or Alaska Naval Militia; [OR] 24  (C) as an employee serving on only a temporary basis in case 25 of fire, storm, snow, earthquake, flood, or similar emergency;  or  26   (D) as an election official or election worker if the amount 27 of remuneration received by the individual during the calendar year for 28 services as an election official or election worker is less than $1,000;  29  (9) in the employ of 30  (A) a church or a convention or association of churches; or 31  (B) an organization which is operated primarily for religious 01 purposes and which is operated, supervised, controlled, or principally supported 02 by a church or a convention or association of churches. 03 * Sec. 49. AS 36.30.850(b)(7) is amended to read: 04  (7) contracts for the preparation  and transportation  of ballots under 05  AS 15  [AS 15.15.030]; 06 * Sec. 50. AS 46.40.150 is amended to read: 07  Sec. 46.40.150. Elections in coastal resource service areas. Organization 08 elections under AS 46.40.130 and other elections, including recall elections conducted 09 under AS 46.40.140, shall be administered by the lieutenant governor in the general 10 manner provided in AS 15 (Election Code). In addition, the lieutenant governor may 11 adopt regulations necessary to the conduct of coastal resource service area board 12 elections. The state shall pay all election costs.  Elections supervised by the 13 lieutenant governor under AS 46.40.110 - 46.40.180 may be conducted by mail as 14 permitted by AS 15.20.800.