00                             HOUSE BILL NO. 288                                                                          
01 "An Act relating to bilingual voting; and relating to the definition of 'political party.'"                             
02 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
03    * Section 1. AS 15.15 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                  
04            Sec. 15.15.245. Voting assistance for persons with limited English                                         
05       proficiency. (a) The director shall                                                                             
06                 (1)  provide bilingual ballots and voting materials or oral translation                                 
07       help at polling places and absentee voting stations designated under AS 15.20.045(b)                              
08       in an election district in which at least 20 percent of the voting-age citizens speak a                           
09       single common language other than English and are persons with limited English                                    
10       proficiency, according to data collected by the United States Bureau of the Census;                               
11       and                                                                                                               
12                 (2)  ensure, to the greatest degree possible, the accurate translation of                               
13       ballots and voting materials and the accuracy and availability of oral translation help                           
14       provided to persons with limited English proficiency.                                                             
15            (b)  In this section, "with limited English proficiency" means unable to speak                               
01       or understand English well enough to participate in the electoral process.                                        
02    * Sec. 2. AS 15.60.010(25) is amended to read:                                                                     
03                 (25)  "political party" means an organized group of voters that                                         
04       represents a political program and has at least 2,500 registered voters in the state                          
05                      [(A)  THAT NOMINATED A CANDIDATE FOR                                                               
06            GOVERNOR WHO RECEIVED AT LEAST THREE PERCENT OF THE                                                          
07            TOTAL VOTES CAST FOR GOVERNOR AT THE PRECEDING                                                               
08            GENERAL ELECTION OR HAS REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE STATE                                                       
09            EQUAL IN NUMBER TO AT LEAST THREE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL                                                       
10            VOTES CAST FOR GOVERNOR AT THE PRECEDING GENERAL                                                             
11            ELECTION;                                                                                                    
12                      (B)  IF THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR WAS NOT ON THE                                                      
13            BALLOT AT THE PRECEDING GENERAL ELECTION BUT THE OFFICE                                                      
14            OF UNITED STATES SENATOR WAS ON THAT BALLOT, THAT                                                            
15            NOMINATED A CANDIDATE FOR UNITED STATES SENATOR WHO                                                          
16            RECEIVED AT LEAST THREE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL VOTES CAST                                                      
17            FOR UNITED STATES SENATOR AT THAT GENERAL ELECTION OR                                                        
18            HAS REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE STATE EQUAL IN NUMBER TO                                                        
19            AT LEAST THREE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL VOTES CAST FOR                                                           
20            UNITED STATES SENATOR AT THAT GENERAL ELECTION; OR                                                           
21                      (C)  IF NEITHER THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR NOR THE                                                     
22            OFFICE OF UNITED STATES SENATOR WAS ON THE BALLOT AT                                                         
23            THE PRECEDING GENERAL ELECTION, THAT NOMINATED A                                                             
24            CANDIDATE FOR UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE WHO                                                               
25            RECEIVED AT LEAST THREE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL VOTES CAST                                                      
26            FOR UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE AT THAT GENERAL                                                             
27            ELECTION OR HAS REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE STATE EQUAL IN                                                      
28            NUMBER TO AT LEAST THREE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL VOTES                                                          
29            CAST FOR UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE AT THAT GENERAL                                                        
30            ELECTION];