1997-04-22                     Senate Journal                      Page 1417
SB 185                                                                       
SENATE BILL NO. 185 BY THE SENATE 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.                                                                    
                                                                               
Fiscal note published today from Office of the Governor.                       
                                                                               
Governors transmittal letter dated April 18:                                   
                                                                               
Dear President Miller:                                                         
                                                                               
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.                   

1997-04-22                     Senate Journal                      Page 1418
SB 185                                                                       
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.                                                      
                                                                               
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