1997-04-22                     House Journal                      Page 1267
HB 259                                                                       
HOUSE BILL NO. 259 by the House Rules Committee by request of                  
the Governor, entitled:                                                        
                                                                               
An Act relating to the maintenance of voter lists and to the                  
inactivation and cancellation of voter registration; and providing             
for an effective date.                                                         
                                                                               
was read the first time and referred to the State Affairs and Finance          
Committees.                                                                    
                                                                               
The following fiscal note applies:                                             
                                                                               
Fiscal note, Office of the Governor, 4/22/97                                   
                                                                               
The Governor's transmittal letter, dated April 18, 1997, appears below:        
                                                                               
Dear Speaker Phillips:                                                         
                                                                               
Maintaining clean voter registration lists is a critical part of ensuring      
the integrity of the electoral process.  The bill I transmit today             
establishes a method that allows for annual  maintenance of Alaskas            
voter registration lists as set out in the National Voter Registration Act     
(NVRA).                                                                        
                                                                               
Prior to the 1994 passage of the NVRA, the Division of Elections               
reviewed the voter registration list annually and inactivated those            
people from the rolls who had not voted for at least two years.  They          
were then deleted from the rolls four years later if they were never           
heard from.  The NVRA, however, does not allow voter removal based             
on non-voting alone, without any prior notice.                                 
                                                                               
The state passed legislation in 1996 in an attempt to comply with              
federal law.  But the U.S. Department of Justice ruled the states voter        
purge procedure continued to violate the NVRA and authorized the               
filing of a lawsuit against the state.  This bill is offered in response.      
The Department of Justice has reviewed the bill and has indicated the          
federal government will drop its lawsuit against the state if it becomes       
law.  Under this legislation, inactive voters will be sent multiple            
notices with a chance to respond before being removed from voter               
lists.                                                                         

1997-04-22                     House Journal                      Page 1268
HB 259                                                                       
This legislation is necessary in order to avoid a costly lawsuit and to        
improve the accuracy of Alaskas voter registration rolls.                      
                                                                               
					Sincerely,                                                                
					/s/                                                                       
					Tony Knowles                                                              
					Governor