05/02/2024 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

         HB 129-ELECTIONS: VOTER REG./LEGAL FUND/COMMS                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:36:14 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR KAWASAKI announced the consideration of CS FOR HOUSE BILL                                                                 
NO. 129(JUD), "An Act relating to voter registration; and                                                                       
providing for an effective date."                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
3:37:00 PM                                                                                                                    
At ease                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:37:16 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR KAWASAKI reconvened the meeting.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
3:37:22 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR KAWASAKI solicited a motion.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:37:23 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR MERRICK moved to adopt the Senate committee substitute                                                                  
(SCS) for CSHB 129, work order 33-LS0668\R, as the working                                                                      
document.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI joined the meeting.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:37:35 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR KAWASAKI objected for purposes of discussion.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:37:58 PM                                                                                                                    
DAVID DUNSMORE,  Staff, Senator  Bill Wielechowski,  Alaska State                                                               
Legislature,  Juneau,   Alaska,  presented  the   explanation  of                                                               
changes  from Version  S  to R  for HB  129,  which includes  the                                                               
following Senate  provisions taken from a  variety of legislation                                                               
previously heard by this committee:                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
            HB 129 version S to CS HB 129 Version R                                                                           
                       Summary of Changes                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Section 15: Requires DOE to develop procedures                                                                           
     for risk limiting audits (SB 138).                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Sections  1-7,   26:  Allow  voters  to   update  their                                                                  
     registration within 30 days of an election (SB 138).                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Section  22: Requires  DOE to  develop a  cybersecurity                                                                  
     program (SB 1, SB 138).                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Sections 20-21:  Allow ballot curing  (SB 1, SB  19, SB
).                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Sections   16,   18-20:   Repeals   witness   signature                                                                  
     requirement for absentee ballots (SB 138).                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Section 17:  Prevents special needs ballots  from being                                                                  
     rejected  because  of  poll  worker  or  representative                                                                    
     errors (SB 138).                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Section 23: Requires  disclosure statement for campaign                                                                  
     related deepfakes (SB 177).                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
       Sections 14, 24-25: Allow campaign legal funds (SB
).                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:39:50 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR CLAMAN joined the meeting.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
3:41:29 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE   SARAH   VANCE,    District   6,   Alaska   State                                                               
Legislature, Juneau,  Alaska, sponsor of  HB 129, noted  that she                                                               
had been  on the House floor  and therefore had not  had a chance                                                               
to review  the SCS.  She stated  that the  SCS contains  same day                                                               
registration  along with  a host  of measures  that she  does not                                                               
support.  She  briefly  discussed  the  unsuccessful  history  of                                                               
voting omnibus bills  in the legislature. She  explained that she                                                               
chose  to  take a  systematic  approach  to breaking  the  larger                                                               
changes  down into  smaller changes  that more  legislators agree                                                               
on. She  explained that the  original version of HB  129 received                                                               
bipartisan  support in  the House.  She noted  that the  original                                                               
intent of HB  129 was simply to clean up  voter rolls. She opined                                                               
that  this change  would show  Alaskans that  the legislature  is                                                               
serious  about systematically  approaching  election reform.  She                                                               
apologized for  not being able  to review the SCS  and emphasized                                                               
that she was not able to support it.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:43:08 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  KAWASAKI acknowledged  that  the SCS  has provisions  that                                                               
were not  in the  original bill  and pointed  out that  these are                                                               
from legislation  previously heard  by the committee.  He briefly                                                               
discussed  the path  HB 129  will take  as it  moves through  the                                                               
Senate and expressed  the intent for this legislation  to move as                                                               
quickly  as possible.  He noted  that additional  changes may  be                                                               
made during this  process. He added that  the provision regarding                                                               
16-year-old  pre-registration   was  removed  at   the  sponsor's                                                               
request. He acknowledged  that the SCS is a work  in progress and                                                               
expressed appreciation  for the original intent  related to voter                                                               
list maintenance, registration, and that  those on the voter list                                                               
are able  to vote.  He reiterated  that several  other provisions                                                               
were added from other pieces  of legislation previously discussed                                                               
in committee.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:44:54 PM                                                                                                                    
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE reiterated that she  had not had a chance to                                                               
review the SCS and expressed appreciation to the committee.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:45:33 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR BJORKMAN referred to Section  4 and asked why someone who                                                               
registers on election day would need to vote an absentee ballot.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:45:57 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  KAWASAKI  said  that absentee  ballots  require  specific,                                                               
detailed  information   in  order  to  verify   the  individual's                                                               
identity. He explained  that this process - which  is dictated in                                                               
current law - is intentionally  arduous. This is why the absentee                                                               
ballot was used for those registering to vote on election day.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
3:47:00 PM                                                                                                                    
MR. DUNSMORE offered additional  information regarding the use of                                                               
absentee or questioned ballots for  same-day voting. He explained                                                               
that  the  absentee application  on  the  questioned ballot  form                                                               
serves as  a voter  registration form.  He noted  that currently,                                                               
someone  who votes  a questioned  ballot  within 30  days of  the                                                               
election will  only be counted  toward the presidential  race. He                                                               
briefly explained the registration  review process and added that                                                               
this would ensure that individuals are eligible to vote on.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
3:48:04 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  BJORKMAN said  that he  understands the  need to  vote a                                                               
questioned ballot,  but wondered why  there is an option  to vote                                                               
absentee on Election Day.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
3:48:20 PM                                                                                                                    
MR. DUNSBAR replied that it  would not necessarily be on Election                                                               
Day, since  absentee by mail  and in person absentee  ballots can                                                               
be  requested  within  the  30-day   window.  He  explained  that                                                               
absentee  in-person is  functionally equivalent  to a  questioned                                                               
ballot.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:49:00 PM                                                                                                                    
[CHAIR  KAWASAKI  removed  his  objection; he  found  no  further                                                               
objection and SCS CSHB 129 was adopted.]                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
3:49:10 PM                                                                                                                    
[CHAIR KAWASAKI solicited the will of the committee.]                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:49:17 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR  MERRICK moved  to report  SCS CSHB  129, work  order 33-                                                               
LS0668\R,  from  committee  with individual  recommendations  and                                                               
attached fiscal note(s).                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
3:49:31 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  KAWASAKI  found  no  objection   and  SCSHB  129(STA)  was                                                               
reported from the Senate State Affairs Standing Committee.