04/23/2024 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS

            HB 246-VOTER PREREGISTRATION FOR MINORS                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:31:28 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHAW  announced that  the next order  of business  would be                                                               
HOUSE BILL  NO. 246,  "An Act  relating to  voter preregistration                                                               
for minors at least 16 years of age."                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
3:31:52 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY,  as prime sponsor,  presented HB 246.   She                                                               
paraphrased  the sponsor  statement  [included  in the  committee                                                               
packet], which read as follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     House  Bill 246  would  promote democracy  in our  next                                                                    
     generation  of  Alaskans  by  introducing  high  school                                                                    
     students to voter pre-registration  before they turn 18                                                                    
     years old. Early voter registration  has been proven to                                                                    
     heighten   youth  awareness   of   the  importance   of                                                                    
     exercising their right to vote  in a working democracy,                                                                    
     not only  for the students,  but in their  families and                                                                    
     communities. Dinner table  discussions of our national,                                                                    
     state  and local  governing process  and issues  of the                                                                    
     day  are  vital  to  growing  the  next  generation  of                                                                    
     informed Alaskan voters.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     HB 246 permits  citizens who are at least  16 years old                                                                    
     to pre-register  to vote.  In accordance  with existing                                                                    
     statute, they  would then become eligible  to be placed                                                                    
     on  the   voting  rolls  90  days   before  their  18th                                                                    
     birthday. Current  statute allows  Alaskans who  are 17                                                                    
     years  old to  be able  to register  to vote  within 90                                                                    
     days of  their 18th birthday. Starting  this process at                                                                    
     16 years old expands the  period of time in which young                                                                    
     Alaskans are  aware of the  electoral rights  they will                                                                    
     have upon turning 18, so  they have more opportunity to                                                                    
     develop the habits needed to be informed voters.                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Twenty-three   other  states   plus  the   District  of                                                                    
     Columbia offer preregistration to  16 and 17-year olds.                                                                    
     Young  voter  participation   has  increased  in  these                                                                    
     states, a  habit that will  result in  lifelong voters.                                                                    
     36.42%  of Alaska's  population  (44.37% of  registered                                                                    
     voters)  cast ballots  in  the  last general  election.                                                                    
     This  bill can  bring  that percentage  up by  building                                                                    
     awareness,  at  an  early age,  of  the  importance  of                                                                    
     voting.  This   bill  will  also   encourage  families,                                                                    
     communities and  educators to promote  civic engagement                                                                    
     resulting in  newfound focus and helping  to ensure all                                                                    
     Alaskan eligible citizens register to vote.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     I respectfully  ask for  support in  the passage  of HB
                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESNTATIVE  STORY added  that there  was a  sectional analysis                                                               
included in the  committee packet that could be read  by her aide                                                               
at the will  of the committee.  Also in  the packet, she related,                                                               
that there  was a fiscal  note and a state-by-state  grid showing                                                               
which states honor similar legislation.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:35:50 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHAW announced that the  committee would move on to invited                                                               
testimony on HB 246.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:36:04 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
AMY  GALLOWAY,  League  of  Women  Voters  Alaska,  gave  invited                                                               
testimony in  support of HB 246  and related that she  was also a                                                               
high school civics  and history teacher.  She  offered her belief                                                               
that the  proposed legislation would  be a powerful  accessory to                                                               
increase informed  youth voter turnout.   She added  that because                                                               
of  the  current age  restriction,  it  is  only a  "trickle"  of                                                               
student  registration.   She recognized  that students  need help                                                               
navigating  the   electoral  process  and  why   registration  is                                                               
important  to protect  election integrity.   She  noted a  common                                                               
question  is  asking the  meaning  of  political affiliation,  to                                                               
which  she encouraged  the students  to talk  to their  families.                                                               
Schools  are the  perfect place  to  teach students  how to  pre-                                                               
register to  vote, and teachers  can provide options  to students                                                               
along  with  civics  lessons,  she  said,  making  learning  more                                                               
relevant.   If  one  votes,  she opined,  they  will likely  keep                                                               
voting.  She offered her  availability to the committee to answer                                                               
questions.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:40:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MARJORIE  MENZI,  Retired  Educator, gave  invited  testimony  in                                                               
support  of  HB   246.    She  highlighted   her  involvement  in                                                               
activities related  to civics  and government  that spoke  to the                                                               
importance   of   involving   young   people   in   their   civic                                                               
responsibilities at an early age.   She shared her experiences of                                                               
having parents  who were  involved in  community issues,  and she                                                               
acknowledged  that   not  all  children  have   that  experience;                                                               
therefore, they  rely on schools  to help develop  good, informed                                                               
citizens.   She opined  that the  earlier this  education starts,                                                               
the better.   She  spoke to various  programs that  highlight the                                                               
important work  and that students can  be part of the  process by                                                               
voting   as   adults.     She   noted   that  by   lowering   the                                                               
preregistration age,  schools can be proactive  in organizations,                                                               
such as  the League  of Women Voters,  and make  the registration                                                               
process  more  relevant to  the  students.   She  encouraged  the                                                               
committee to consider  that a 14-year-old can  obtain a learner's                                                               
driving permit, so  allowing students at sixteen years  of age to                                                               
preregister to vote is a safe and meaningful responsibility.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:46:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  C.   JOHNSON  pointed  to  the   difficulties  in                                                               
maintaining  voter rolls  and questioned  how  students would  be                                                               
treated on a  voter roll as a non-voter.   He further expressed a                                                               
concern about  sixteen-year olds'  information being  exposed due                                                               
to voting records being public.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:47:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CAROL  BEECHER, Director,  Division of  Elections, Office  of the                                                               
Lieutenant  Governor, responded  that the  Division of  Elections                                                               
had not figured  out the workings of this yet,  and she explained                                                               
that  the systems  would have  to  be programmed  to trigger  the                                                               
sending of  the voter card within  90 days of the  person turning                                                               
18.                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
3:49:26 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
THOMAS FLYNN,  Assistant Attorney General, Department  of Law, in                                                               
response to  a follow up  question by Representative  C. Johnson,                                                               
he  offered  his  belief  that  it sounded  more  like  a  policy                                                               
question  rather  than a  legal  one.   Certain  parts  available                                                               
online are  confidential, he said,  such as  residential address,                                                               
but under existing law other parts would not be.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  C.   JOHNSON  referred  to  the   permanent  fund                                                               
dividend (PFD) registration form as an example.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:50:38 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. BEECHER  explained that the  current process of  applying for                                                               
the PFD  is if the individual  notes that they are  18, then they                                                               
are automatically  registered.   If the  individual is  under 18,                                                               
they  would   not  be  automatically  registered   to  vote,  she                                                               
confirmed.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
3:51:19 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STORY offered  closing  comments.   She said  she                                                               
sought to  look into  other states who  have allowed  students to                                                               
pre-register to  vote and how  those states have  handled privacy                                                               
issues.   She further noted a  companion bill in the  Senate that                                                               
she said complemented the civics education bill forthcoming.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
3:51:56 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SHAW announced HB 246 was held over.