01/17/2024 01:00 PM House JUDICIARY

                    HB 129-VOTER REGISTRATION                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
1:05:58 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE announced  that the first order of  business would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL NO.  129, "An Act relating to  voter registration; and                                                               
providing  for an  effective date."   [Before  the committee  was                                                               
CSHB 129(STA), as amended on 5/8/23.]                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
1:06:29 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
JAKE  ALMEIDA, Staff,  Representative Sarah  Vance, Alaska  State                                                               
Legislature,   on  behalf   of  the   House  Judiciary   Standing                                                               
Committee, sponsor  by request, chaired by  Representative Vance,                                                               
gave  an  overview of  CSHB  129(STA).    The bill  required  the                                                               
Division of Elections  (DOE) director to send  letters to confirm                                                               
addresses  of  all  voters  not  domiciled  in  the  state.    In                                                               
addition,  it  implemented  an  easier  system  to  cancel  voter                                                               
registration  and adopted  best practices  for verifying  Alaskan                                                               
voter status with  multiple databases.  CSHB  129(STA) would give                                                               
clear  direction to  help clean  up the  voter rolls  and provide                                                               
accurate representation of the Alaskan  electorate to build trust                                                               
in the electorate system.   He noted that last session, Amendment                                                               
1 and  Amendment 6  were conceptually amended  and adopted.   The                                                               
bill was before the committee for final consideration.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR VANCE sought final comment from members of the committee.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN  questioned how passage of  the bill would                                                               
impact  the  voter roll.    He  expressed concern  that  inactive                                                               
voters had the same ability to vote as active voters.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE ALLARD moved to report  CSHB 129(STA), as amended,                                                               
out  of   committee  with  individual  recommendations   and  the                                                               
accompanying  fiscal  notes.   There  being  no  objection,  CSHB
(JUD)  was  reported  out  of  the  House  Judiciary  Standing                                                               
Committee.