00SENATE BILL NO. 185                                                                                                     
01 "An Act relating to the maintenance of voter lists and to the inactivation and                                          
02 cancellation of voter registration; and providing for an effective date."                                               
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1.  AS 15.07.130(a) is amended to read:                                                                    
05  (a)  Periodically at times of the director's choosing, but no less frequently                                        
06 than in January [AT THE CLOSE] of each calendar year, the director [AREA                                           
07 ELECTION SUPERVISOR] shall examine the master register maintained [BY THE                                             
08 SUPERVISOR] under AS 15.07.120 and shall send, by nonforwardable mail to the                                           
09 voter's registration mailing address, a notice requesting address confirmation or                                       
10 correction to each voter                                                                                                
11   (1)  whose mail from the division has been returned to the division                                                  
12 in the two years immediately preceding the examination of the register;                                                 
13   (2)  who has not contacted the division in the two years immediately                                                 
14 preceding the examination of the register; or                                                                           

01   (3)  who has not voted or appeared to vote in the two general                                                        
02 elections immediately preceding the examination of the register.                                                       
03    * Sec. 2.  AS 15.07.130(b) is amended to read:                                                                       
04  (b)  If [WHEN] a registered voter has not [INDICATED IN WRITING A                                                   
05 DESIRE TO REMAIN REGISTERED] within the preceding four calendar years                                                  
06 contacted the division and has neither voted nor appeared to vote in a local, regional                                 
07 school board, primary, special, or general election during the last four calendar years,                               
08 and a notice sent to the voter under (a) of this section was returned as                                                
09 undeliverable, the voter shall be advised by a notice sent by forwardable mail to the                                  
10 voter's last known address that registration will be inactivated unless the voter                                       
11 responds to the notice no later than 45 [AT LEAST 30] days after the date of the                                     
12 notice sent under this section [BEFORE THE DATE OF THE NEXT PRIMARY                                                    
13 ELECTION ON A FORM FURNISHED BY THE DIRECTOR].  The director shall                                                      
14 maintain on the master register the name of a voter whose registration is inactivated.                                  
15 The director shall cancel a voter's inactive registration in accordance with the                                       
16 procedures set out in 42 U.S.C. 1973gg-6 (sec. 8, National Voter Registration Act                                       
17 of 1993) after the second general election that occurs after the registration becomes                                  
18 inactive if the voter does not contact the division or vote or appear to vote.                                        
19    * Sec. 3.  AS 15.07.130(d) is amended to read:                                                                       
20  (d)  The notice sent under [DESCRIBED IN] (b) of this section must include                                          
21 a postage prepaid and pre-addressed return card on which the voter may state the                                        
22 voter's current address.  The notice must indicate                                                                      
23   (1)  that the voter should return the card not later than 45 days after the                                         
24 date of the notice [30 DAYS BEFORE THE NEXT PRIMARY ELECTION] if the                                                   
25 voter did not change residence;                                                                                         
26   (2)  that failure to [THE VOTER MAY VOTE ONLY A                                                                    
27 QUESTIONED OR ABSENTEE BALLOT IF THE VOTER DOES NOT] return the                                                         
28 card by the 45-day deadline could result in removal of the voter's name from the                                       
29 official registration list for a subsequent election [AT LEAST 30 DAYS BEFORE                                          
30 THE NEXT PRIMARY ELECTION];                                                                                             
31   (3)  that the voter's registration will be canceled if the voter does not                                           

01 contact the division during, or vote or appear to vote in an election held during, the                               
02 period beginning on the date of the notice and ending on the day after the last day of                                  
03 the fourth calendar year that occurs after the date of the notice; and                                                  
04   (4)  how the voter can continue to be eligible to vote if the voter has                                              
05 changed residence.                                                                                                      
06    * Sec. 4.  AS 15.07.130 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:                                               
07  (f)  For the purpose of this section, a voter "contacts" the division if the voter                                    
08 notifies the division of a change of address, responds to a notice sent under this                                      
09 section, signs a petition for a ballot measure, requests a new voter registration card,                                 
10 or otherwise communicates with the division other than to vote or register to vote.                                     
11    * Sec. 5.  This Act takes effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c).