Legislature(2017 - 2018)GRUENBERG 120
03/09/2017 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB1 | |
| HB82 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HB 82 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| += | HB 1 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 1-ELECTION REGISTRATION AND VOTING
3:03:48 PM
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS announced that the first order of business
would be HOUSE BILL NO. 1, "An Act relating to absentee voting,
voting, and voter registration; relating to early voting
locations at which persons may vote absentee ballots; and
providing for an effective date."
3:04:13 PM
KENDRA KLOSTER, Staff, Representative Chris Tuck, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of Representative Tuck, prime sponsor of
HB 1, informed the committee that a forthcoming committee
substitute (CS) would amend HB 1 as follows: update outdated
election statutes; make changes to the same-day voter
registration process; provide clarification on questioned
absentee-in-person early vote and the process for voting by
electronic transmission; and improve the electronic signature
definition.
3:05:34 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP pointed out a discrepancy in statute
regarding voting age. He referred to Section 1 of HB 1 [page 1,
lines 6-8], which states that a person may vote at any election
who is 18 years of age or older, and Section 2 of HB 1 [page 2,
lines 11-12], which requires a declaration that the applicant
will be 18 years of age or older within 90 days after the date
of registration. He asserted that there exists a loophole
allowing a person to vote before age 18 and suggested that
language be added stating that a person must be age 18 prior to
Election Day.
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK responded that Section 1 refers to voter
qualification and stipulates that regardless of when the voter
registers prior to turning 18 years of age, his/her ballot will
not count unless he/she is age 18 or older. He said that
someone not yet age 18 who tries to vote would not be on the
voter register, thus would have to fill out a questioned ballot.
He stated that not being 18 years of age is a disqualification
for being allowed to vote. He added that the provisions in
Section 2 are for an applicant.
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP requested that Section 2 be reviewed to
ensure that there would be no loophole allowing someone under
age 18 to register and vote.
3:08:42 PM
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX, in response to Representative Knopp's
concern, stated that she thinks the voter registration
application requires an applicant to certify that he/she will be
18 years of age by Election Day.
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP conceded that may be the case but mentioned
that the voter registration card does not show date of birth or
age, so could not be used to verify age for the election
official.
3:10:09 PM
LAURI WILSON, Elections Supervisor, Southeast Region, Division
of Elections (DOE), Office of the Lieutenant Governor, explained
that if a voter registers within 90 days of his/her birthdate,
he/she must be 18 years of age to vote. If the voter registers
and receives a voter registration card but hasn't turned 18
years of age, he/she is not eligible to vote, and his/her name
is not on the precinct register. If the voter's name is not on
the register, he/she must vote a questioned ballot, which would
be reviewed, and a determination made that he/she was not
eligible to vote. Therefore, the ballot would not be counted.
She added that same would occur if he/she voted absentee: the
absentee ballot would be reviewed, and it would be determined
that the individual was not yet 18 years of age, therefore not
eligible to vote.
REPRESENTATIVE KNOPP asked for clarification that a person
cannot be added to the voter register until he/she is 18 years
of age, regardless of when he/she applied.
MS. WILSON answered that is correct. For any voter not eligible
to vote, the DOE system is designed not to add his/her name to
the precinct register.
3:12:10 PM
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK commented that under HB 1, same-day voter
registration ballots would be reviewed just as is currently done
with early in-person absentee voting ballots. He added that
since it has been a long time since the election statutes have
been updated, HB 1 offers conforming language for changes to
voter registration across all voting options: electronic
voting, voting by mail, in-person absentee voting, special needs
voting, and voting by fax.
CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS announced that HB 1 would be held over.
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