Legislature(2021 - 2022)GRUENBERG 120
04/12/2021 01:00 PM House JUDICIARY
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HB116 | |
| HB66 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| *+ | HB 116 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 66 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| + | TELECONFERENCED |
HB 66-ELECTIONS, VOTING, BALLOTS
[Contains discussion of SB 39]
1:56:24 PM
CHAIR CLAMAN announced that the final order of business would be
HOUSE BILL NO. 66,
"An Act relating to voting, voter qualifications, and voter
registration; relating to poll watchers; relating to absentee
ballots and questioned ballots; relating to election worker
compensation; and providing for an effective date."
CHAIR CLAMAN recalled that, during the Thirtieth Alaska State
Legislature, the House Judiciary Standing Committee had held a
hearing on a previous version of HB 66 in April 2017, and the
bill had been moved from committee. He added that items such as
eliminating the witness requirement for absentee ballots, pay
increases for workers, and "curing" provisions may not have been
part of the previous version of the bill.
1:57:18 PM
REPRESENTATIVE CHRIS TUCK, Alaska State Legislature, as prime
sponsor, introduced HB 66. Representative Tuck stated that 2020
was a year that exemplified safe and secure elections in Alaska
and the other 49 states. He stated that it had been reported
that the 2020 election was one of the most secure elections in
history. He referenced reports made by the United States law
enforcement and intelligence communities concluding that no
evidence of significant voter fraud had occurred. He cited a
publication by the Brookings Institute, entitled "It's Official-
The Election Was Secure." He stated that in the last election,
more votes than ever had been cast: 361,000 out of 599,687
eligible Alaskan voters cast a ballot. He suggested that voters
were allowed to vote by mail safely and conveniently, despite
the pandemic. He stated that there were two primary goals for
the passage of HB 66; the first would be to allow voters to opt
to vote by mail in perpetuity until an election is missed, and
the second would be to expand access to voting and modernize
elections by authorizing same-day voter registration and allow
for notification and opportunity to cure any ballot's technical
issues found. He added that the bill would allow for absentee
ballots to be counted as they are received rather than awaiting
the polls closing to begin counting.
1:59:59 PM
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK stated that the higher volume of absentee
voting had had a more significant impact on the recent election
than on prior elections. He explained that HB 66 also would
seek to clarify terminology and eliminate confusion between
early voting and in-person absentee voting among different
locations in the state. Further, the bill would aid in creating
consistent polling locations, provide that candidates and groups
sponsoring ballot initiatives be allowed observers at the polls,
and provide for paid postage on absentee ballots.
Representative Tuck added that, currently, a voter may request
to vote absentee in an election, and that HB 66 would provide an
option to voters to choose to vote by absentee ballot for all
future elections. He suggested that the passage of HB 66 would
help to create a more equitable accessible voting system by
putting voters first and ensuring that every Alaskan is entitled
to one vote.
2:03:44 PM
CHAIR CLAMAN announced that the committee would hear invited
testimony.
2:04:12 PM
PADDY MCGUIRE offered a brief history of his background and
employment. He endorsed HB 66 as a significant step forward in
correcting issues in Alaska law that would make voting from home
easier and more accessible. He opined that, following the 2020
election, public sentiment has risen in favor of being able to
vote from home. He offered his opinion based on experience that
the provisions of HB 66 have been successfully adopted
elsewhere. He stated that allowing voters to choose to vote
absentee for future elections would reduce the burden on
election administrators when compared to administering repeat
requests for absentee voting. He stated that, in 1998, the
State of Oregon had adopted vote by mail, and it followed that
70 percent of voters chose to become permanent absentee voters.
He added that the State of Washington introduced same-day voter
registration and, while not without some technical difficulties,
voters were able to cast a ballot rather than be turned away.
He added that postage and cure remedies adopted by the State of
Washington had been popular among voters, and increased security
by detecting fraud by means of the cure process.
2:07:25 PM
MR. MCGUIRE imparted that the State of Washington begins
tallying ballots as soon as they are received and has penalties
in place to prohibit revealing results early. He added that pay
to election workers in his jurisdiction ranges from $15-18 per
hour and expressed his surprise that Alaska election workers
were not paid at or above the same rate and expressed his belief
that the State of Washington's higher wage had increased
employee retention.
2:09:01 PM
AMBER MCREYNOLDS, Chief Executive Officer of the National Vote
at Home Institute, described the institute as a national, non-
partisan, non-profit organization that works on expanding access
to vote at home and on improving elections systems overall. She
stated that the organization's values are fairness,
accessibility, security, transparency, equity, and reliability
in elections systems. She endorsed HB 66 on behalf of the
organization. She recalled her experience as an election
official in the State of Colorado, where vote by mail had been
expanded and stated that, over time, more voters chose to use
the vote by mail option, in record numbers. She added that HB
66 would expand voter choice to either vote in advance of
election day or on election day.
2:12:09 PM
KENDRA KLOSTER, Executive Director, Native Peoples Action (NPA)
and Native Peoples Action Community Fund (NPACF) testified in
support of HB 66. She explained that the two sister
organizations that she represents are indigenous, non-profit
organizations focused on protecting traditional [Native] ways of
life by providing Alaska Native communities with a voice at all
levels of policymaking. She explained that her advocacy for
voting reform has evolved as more is learned about voting issues
in Alaska.
MS. KLOSTER said that NPACF had hired fifteen rural voter
engagement specialists during the 2020 election and had sent out
more than 57,000 absentee voting applications in response to
community concerns voiced around COVID-19. She shared NPACF's
summation of voter concerns that had been identified as barriers
to voting including insufficient ice on the river prohibiting
travel to polls, unfulfilled online requests to receive absentee
ballots, communities in lockdown due to COVID-19, and post
office closures and voters' inability to obtain postage to vote
absentee.
2:15:40 PM
MS. KLOSTER spoke in favor of ballot curing. She encouraged the
committee to seek additional solutions to eliminate barriers to
voting, and she expressed her opinion that HB 66 is a good start
to addressing some of the barriers. She encouraged additional
outreach and voter education efforts, including diversity in
languages for election education efforts.
2:18:17 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KURKA referred to page 1, line 11, of HB 66 and
asked whether the bill would allow for adequate time and process
to verify citizenship [of voters seeking registration].
2:19:37 PM
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK answered that the Alaska State Constitution
prescribes a 30-day residency requirement that HB 66 would not
circumvent. He exemplified situations such as in which a
resident changed districts or in which a voter sought new
registration, he/she would be subject to a question ballot, a
special needs ballot, or an in-person absentee ballot. He
explained that all three ballot types are examined for voter
eligibility by the same process. He noted that language in
Section 12, [on page 6], line 25 through page 7, line 2 would be
eliminated, but the language is included in Section 13 on how a
person voting by means of a question ballot, special needs
ballot, or an in-person absentee ballot would be qualified.
2:21:02 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KURKA referred to proposed language in Section 2,
on page 2, line 30, through page 3, line 3, which read:
(14) an acknowledgment of understanding by the
applicant that, if the applicant has previously been
registered to vote in another jurisdiction, the
director will notify the chief elections officer of
that jurisdiction that the applicant has registered to
vote in Alaska and request the applicant's voter
registration be canceled in that jurisdiction.
REPRESENTATIVE KURKA asked, should the voter not inform the
director, how the director would be informed as to whom to
contact in another state.
2:21:57 PM
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK explained that the state has a paid
partnership with the Election Registration Information Center
(ERIC) that allows the Division of Elections to verify residency
in a manner similar to the methodology that is used for
residents to be verified to obtain a REAL ID.
2:23:12 PM
REPRESENTATIVE KURKA asked whether the verification process
would be completed within the 30-day required timeframe.
REPRESENTATIVE TUCK deferred to the Division of Elections to
confirm but offered that the verification process would be
allowed up to the deadline of certification of the election.
2:24:18 PM
CHAIR CLAMAN opened public testimony on HB 66.
2:25:11 PM
JOEL HANSON testified in support of HB 66. He stated that he
had since retired from commercial fishing and had voted absentee
or by mail for many years. He stated his support of prior
legislation that associated the Alaska permanent fund dividend
(PFD) application process with an opt-out provision for
automatic voter registration. He claimed that HB 66 would
retain the opt-out provision and stated that SB 39 would change
the voter registration via PFD application to an opt-in process.
He cautioned that voter turnout could diminish significantly
should SB 39 pass unless HB 66 should pass and allow for same-
day voter registration at the polls. He stated that he had
observed public testimony regarding allegations of voter fraud
and suspicious activity pertaining to the 2020 election and said
that none of the allegations had convinced him of widespread
voter fraud. He added that most suspicious activity reported in
testimony had been resolved by voters themselves choosing not to
participate in fraudulent activity.
2:27:40 PM
TERRI LYONS, testified in opposition to HB 66. She specified
her opposition to electronic signatures and early voting. She
emphasized her opposition to eliminating witness signatures.
She also stated her opposition to proposed pay raises for
election officials. She suggested that the passage of HB 66
would result in the state becoming subject to extreme voter
fraud. She stated that she and her late husband had received
absentee ballots in the mail, though no such absentee ballots
had been requested by them.
2:29:13 PM
DOUG WOODBY testified in support of HB 66. He stated that the
passage of HB 66 would expand voter access, modernize Alaska
elections, make it more convenient to vote before election day,
make it easier to vote on election day. The proposed
legislation would require the Division of Elections to inform a
voter when an absentee ballot has an error and is subject to
rejection and provide for a voter to be able to cure mistakes.
2:30:19 PM
LOREN PETERSON, Chairman & President, Azachorok Incorporated,
testified in support of HB 66. He explained that Azachorok
Incorporated is a corporation headquartered in Anchorage and
serves shareholders in Western Alaska, including the Lower
Yukon. He suggested that the region had experienced
disenfranchisement including in elections. He stated the board
of directors of the corporation unanimously resolved support for
ballot curing. He stated that he had been an active voter, as
were his parents. He stated that his signature had changed over
time and absentee ballots should allow for a curing process
should signatures not match. He requested the committee
consider allowing for a curing process for mail-in ballots. He
further suggested that voter turnout would increase should HB 66
pass.
2:33:23 PM
CELESTE HODGE GROWDEN, President & Chief Executive Officer,
Alaska Black Caucus; Executive Vice President, National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People, described the
Alaska Black Caucus as a non-partisan organization that
advocates for the lives of black and other people of color in
Alaska in the areas of health, education, economics, and
justice. She suggested that in Alaska and other states some
voter suppression bills had been introduced based on fear and
unsubstantiated rhetoric that erode voting rights. She
suggested that HB 66 would enable every voter to be heard by way
of their ballot. She emphasized that vote by mail would allow
more voters to participate in elections despite personal and
economic barriers to voting. She suggested that HB 66 would
make voting more accessible and more secure. She stated fierce
opposition to discriminatory practices and described prior
discriminatory practices that made it more difficult for people
of color to vote.
2:36:24 PM
JESSICA LINDMAN testified in support of HB 66. She stated that
she had been a resident of Oregon and there had voted
exclusively by mail. She stated her understanding that there
had not been any evidence of widespread voter fraud. She stated
that the State of Oregon also had permitted a ballot curing
process and expressed her dismay at learning that Alaska had no
such process.
2:37:36 PM
RICK PHILIPS testified in support of HB 66. He stated that he
would support any bill that would make it easier to vote. He
read from the Constitution of the United States, as follows:
"The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be
denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on
account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." He
suggested that the right to vote should be assigned at birth.
2:38:58 PM
ALEX KOPLIN, Member, Kenai Peninsula Votes, testified in support
of HB 66. He complimented the Division of Elections and its
staff for their work on the 2020 election. He spoke in support
of ballot curing, prepaid postage on absentee and mail-in
ballots, the elimination of the witness signature requirement,
and the option for voters to opt for permanent absentee ballots.
He claimed that SB 39 had not been subject to public testimony
to date. He encouraged bipartisan support of HB 66.
2:41:38 PM
CHARLES MCKEE testified in opposition to HB 66. He stated that
he had provided testimony in opposition to SB 39.
2:43:27 PM
CASSIE LAWVER testified in opposition to HB 66.
2:43:56 PM
JOHN SONIN testified in support of HB 66. He encouraged free
and fair elections and making it easier to vote. He suggested
that HB 66 was perfect and urged the committee to pass it.
2:46:48 PM
MIKE COONS testified in opposition to HB 66 and stated his
support of SB 39. He suggested that same-day voter
registration, ballot curing, and eliminating the witness
signature requirement render the election system open to voter
fraud.
2:49:39 PM
ANNETTE ALFONSI testified in support of HB 66. She shared a
personal story of her disability and her resulting difficulty in
voting in previous elections. She emphatically supported
provisions of the bill that would aid disabled citizens in
voting. She suggested that ballot curing for mismatched
signatures would be a fraud prevention measure.
2:51:56 PM
BERT HOUGHTALING testified in opposition to HB 66. He suggested
that the passage of HB 66 would weaken elections and increase
the potential for voter fraud. He opined that the judicial
system had subverted a free and fair election in 2020. He
recommended that the committee consider revising HB 66 to align
with SB 39.
2:54:28 PM
NICK MOE testified in support of HB 66. He suggested that
ballot curing had been long overdue and suggested that in excess
of 1,100 ballots in the previous election had been rejected and
may have been counted had a cure process been available. He
expressed his support for same-day voter registration, stating
that he had encountered young and new voters in his capacity of
student government relations at the University of Alaska who had
expressed a desire to vote, but had not been allowed due to the
30-day advance registration requirement.
2:56:10 PM
EVAN ANDERSON, Director of Civic Engagement for the Alaska
Center Education Fund, testified in support of HB 66. He
complimented the efforts and adaptations involved in the 2020
election under a global pandemic. He encouraged outreach to
existing and new voters to inform them of their voter rights.
He stated that his organization had established a hotline that
garnered hundreds of calls from voters seeking information. He
suggested that same-day voter registration and the option for
permanent absentee ballot requests would be the most effective
reforms. He suggested that HB 66 would expand the electorate.
2:58:40 PM
REBECCA MOORE testified in opposition to HB 66. She expressed
concerns that the passage of HB 66 would not provide increased
integrity in elections.
2:59:54 PM
CHAIR CLAMAN, after ascertaining that there was no one else who
wished to testify, closed public testimony on HB 66.
CHAIR CLAMAN announced that HB 66 was held over.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska Police Standards Council Appointment - Joseph White Resume.pdf |
HJUD 4/12/2021 1:00:00 PM |
|
| HB 66 v. B 2.18.2021.PDF |
HJUD 4/12/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/14/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/19/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 66 |
| HB 66 Sponsor Statement v. B 4.12.2021.pdf |
HJUD 4/12/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/14/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/19/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 66 |
| HB 66 Sectional Analysis v. B 4.12.2021.pdf |
HJUD 4/12/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/14/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/19/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 66 |
| HB 66 Additional Document - National Vote at Home Institute 2020 Review 4.12.2021.pdf |
HJUD 4/12/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/14/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/19/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 66 |
| HB 66 Additional Document - Sightline Institute Absentee Voting Article 12.15.2020.pdf |
HJUD 4/12/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/14/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/19/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 66 |
| HB 66 Additional Document - Alaska 2020 Ballot Statistics 4.12.2021.pdf |
HJUD 4/12/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/14/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/19/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 66 |
| HB 66 Supporting Document - Letters Received as of 4.8.2021.pdf |
HJUD 4/12/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/14/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/19/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 66 |
| HB 66 Fiscal Note OOG-DOE 4.9.2021.pdf |
HJUD 4/12/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/14/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/19/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 66 |
| HB 116 v. A 2.24.2021.PDF |
HHSS 4/29/2021 3:00:00 PM HJUD 4/12/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/14/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/16/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 116 |
| HB 116 Sponsor Statement v. A 4.12.2021.pdf |
HHSS 4/29/2021 3:00:00 PM HJUD 4/12/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/14/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/16/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 116 |
| HB 116 Sectional Analysis v. A 4.12.2021.pdf |
HJUD 4/12/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/14/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/16/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 116 |
| HB 116 Supporting Document - FAQs 4.12.2021.pdf |
HHSS 4/29/2021 3:00:00 PM HJUD 4/12/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/14/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/16/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 116 |
| HB 116 Supporting Document - Carey Acquittal 2017 4.12.2021.pdf |
HJUD 4/12/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/14/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/16/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 116 |
| HB 116 Supporting Document - Temporary Secure Juvenile Holding Areas 4.12.2021.pdf |
HHSS 4/29/2021 3:00:00 PM HJUD 4/12/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/14/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/16/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 116 |
| HB 116 Supporting Document - DJJ Letter 4.9.2021.pdf |
HHSS 4/29/2021 3:00:00 PM HJUD 4/12/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/14/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/16/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 116 |
| HB 116 PowerPoint Presentation 4.12.2021.pdf |
HHSS 4/29/2021 3:00:00 PM HJUD 4/12/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/14/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 116 |
| HB 116 Fiscal Note DHSS-PS 4.9.2021.pdf |
HHSS 4/29/2021 3:00:00 PM HJUD 4/12/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/14/2021 1:00:00 PM HJUD 4/16/2021 1:00:00 PM |
HB 116 |