Legislature(2019 - 2020)GRUENBERG 120
03/05/2020 03:00 PM House STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| Presentation: Transition to the Cloud | |
| HB233 | |
| HB264 | |
| HB250 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| + | TELECONFERENCED | ||
| *+ | HB 233 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 264 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HB 250 | TELECONFERENCED | |
HB 250-VOTER REGISTRATION AGE
4:31:39 PM
CO-CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS announced that the final order of
business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 250, "An Act relating to voter
preregistration for minors at least 16 years of age."
4:31:56 PM
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS presented HB 250 as prime sponsor by
paraphrasing from his written statement, which read:
Co-Chairs Kreiss-Tomkins and Fields, fellow members of
the State Affairs Committee Committee, thank you for
hearing this HB 250 today.
For the record, my name is Grier Hopkins,
Representative for House District 4, and I'd like to
mention that Amy Gallaway, a civics educator out of
Fairbanks and Alaska's Teacher of the Year is online
to answer any questions.
Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today on
this important issue. I am honored to sponsor HB 250
as part of ongoing efforts in the legislature to take
a detailed look at ways to improve our electoral
process, but also bring a new focus to how we prepare
young Alaskans to become active and informed voters.
This legislation was inspired largely by discussions
I've had with young Alaskans, local educators, and
fellow legislators.
Fundamentally, HB 250 is about increasing access,
knowledge, and participation in our democracy. HB 250
would allow young Alaskans who are at least 16 years
old to pre-register to vote. It does not change the
current legal age for voting, it simply extends the
ability for young Alaskans to voluntarily pre-register
to vote before they become eligible voters.
Additionally, this bill does not affect the automatic
voter registration through the PFD application for a
few key reasons. The automatic voter registration only
applies to Alaskan citizens who meet the eligibility
requirements to be able to vote. 16 and 17-year old's
cannot legally vote, and will therefore not be
included in the automatic registration if they file
for their PFD. Through the expansion of our statute to
include citizens who are 16 years old, we create a
longer period of time where young Alaskans are aware
of the rights they will gain upon turning 18 and can
begin to develop the habits of informed and engaged
voters.
Moreover, allowing pre-registration gives our
teachers, families, and communities the tools to
develop young Alaskans into informed and confident
voters. When students turn 16, they have already begun
taking government, history, and civics classes.
Providing pre-registration opportunities in the
classroom offers real and tangible steps for students
to take that give them real world experience.
Additionally, pre-registration is increasingly common
across the nation, with 23 states and the District of
Columbia offering some form of preregistration before
an individual turn [sic] 18. The results in these
places have shown increases in younger voter
participation and the indicators of beginning long
term voting habits.
4:34:50 PM
For example, in Florida, analysis of state voter files
indicates that in 2008 pre-registrants were 4.7% more
likely to vote than those who registered after they
turned eighteen and the number of preregistrations
went from 65,000 in 2004, to nearly 78,000 in 2008.
Additionally, a study from Duke University, by John
Holbein and D. Hillygus, which is attached on Basis,
found that preregistration increases the probability
that young voters will participate in elections by an
average of 2 percentage points to 13 percentage points
and has similar impacts on young Democrats and young
Republicans.
Furthermore, in an additional study, "Voter Pre-
registration Programs success of preregistration is
maximized when election officials and educators act as
partners. This is why we have been working with local
educators, organizations, and stakeholders to
determine the best method to approach this. I'd like
to note that we have received letters of support from
Amy Gallaway, a civics teacher and Alaska Teacher of
the Year, the Alaska Center Education Fund, Kids
Voting North Alaska, Native Movement, and Maida
Buckley, the 2019 Governor's Arts & Humanities Awards
and former educator.
I have been going back to my high school alma mater
for about 10 years and every year that teacher asks
the class, "who here is registered to vote?" Out of an
over 20 student class, only a few raise their hands.
HB 250 will allow more of those engaged citizens to
raise their hands and participate in our democracy.
We have before us the potential to proactively work to
engage young Alaskans in a new and innovative manner.
HB 250 empowers families, communities and educators to
foster civic engagement from a younger age, while also
adding an additional opportunity to ensure that every
citizen in Alaska is registered to vote.
That concludes my presentation and I will be happy to
answer any questions the committee may have.
4:37:53 PM
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked whether Representative Hopkins
considered a bill to allow students to vote at age 16. She
mentioned that she has heard interest from students, who have
stated that such a law would encourage not just the students to
vote more and talk about issues, but families as well.
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS answered that in some locations, 16-year-
olds may vote in local elections. He expressed his desire to
keep the bill simple and to utilize the approach offered under
HB 250 to encourage dialogue and civic engagement, thus,
expanding voter participation for state, local, and national
elections.
CO-CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS offered that the Alaska State
Constitution states that the voting age is 18; changing it would
require a constitutional amendment.
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE referred to the fiscal note (FN) analysis,
included in the committee packet, which read:
The division will need to consult with the Department
of Law to determine if the information of these minors
is protected and not intended to be released in any
lists available from the division.
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE pointed out the concern for privacy of
minors, because the Division of Elections (DOE) does not
interact with minors. She asked whether HB 250 would require
more regulations for DOE.
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS stated that the $75,000 in the FN would
be used to promulgate regulations if needed. The new voters
under HB 250 would not be active voters, therefore, would not be
on the voter rolls. Much of the voter information is public.
Currently someone 17 years of age may register to vote if
turning 18 within 30 days of an election; they are minors when
they register. The $75,000 would provide financial assistance
to the division to implement the process.
4:41:42 PM
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE asked why Representative Hopkins feels it
is important to change the registration age to 16 to increase
participation, when there is already an opportunity for early
registration at age 17. She mentioned that she has always taken
her children to the voting place and given them a sample ballot
to read and vote. She maintained that encouraging participation
could be done without burdening DOE.
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS answered that he is a strong advocate for
finding ways to enfranchise more voters. He maintained that the
FN of $75,000 would not be a significant burden to DOE. He
offered that it is critical to give younger and engaged citizens
the opportunity to practice the skill of being a voter and being
engaged. He said that his parents also took him voting. He
stated that younger voters are in the lowest percentage of voter
turnout; they may be engaged as young children but then
engagement drops off after high school. He offered that
registering would not be required, but it would offer an
opportunity to grow into the process and give teachers another
tool for bringing students into the discussion and process.
4:45:30 PM
CO-CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS added that there is data and evidence
that show increased ability to (indisc.).
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE mentioned that part of the engagement of
voting is being registered to vote, and currently in Alaska,
automatic registration occurs through the permanent fund
dividend (PFD) application. She asked how automatic
registration would impact young voters registering early under
HB 250.
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS answered that the young voters would not
be eligible for automatic voter registration through the PFD
application, because they would not be 18. Automatic
registration begins once a person turns 18.
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE asked whether there are other states with
automatic voter registration.
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS replied that he didn't know but directed
her to the bill packet which lists the 23 states with pre-18
voter registration and the options.
CO-CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS added that there are 20-25 states with
some form of automatic voter registration but none like the
automatic registration through the Alaska PFD application.
4:48:06 PM
AMY GALLAWAY testified in support of HB 250 as the 2020 Alaska
Teacher of the Year and addressed Representative Vance's
question about the need for early voter registration at age 16.
She stated that when she asks her students ages 14-18 about
accompanying their parents to the voting place, only about 1 in
a class of 30 respond that they do so. She maintained that to
prepare students to be citizens, teachers must pair real-life
relevant opportunities with the learning in school. She
mentioned the activities she employs - Kids Voting [USA],
candidate forums, invited speakers - and stated that if she can
pair the process and importance of registering to vote with
those activities, it provides students with an understanding of
how the system works. She said that schools and teachers are
non-partisan, therefore, can offer the amazing aspect of being
in a representative democracy - that each person's voice
matters. She maintained that by having teachers register 16-
year-olds to vote, the teachers can explain all aspects of the
process; the process becomes more relevant; it allows students
to ask questions and be supported, it empowers them to vote and
to continue to vote. She mentioned that youth ages 18-24
represented about 6 percent of the electorate in the last
election.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked Ms. Gallaway to describe how
registering students to vote would occur in the schools.
MS. GALLAWAY responded that teachers often have students do
civic projects in class. She mentioned the Youth Ambassadors
Program, in which 16-17-year-olds can volunteer at the polls.
She said that for student engagement in the civic activities,
teachers can offer registering to vote with assistance from
registrars, registration drives, and the League of Women Voters.
In connection to the school activities and what is taught,
students can have a relevant experience and be prepared to vote
at age 18.
REPRESENTATIVE STORY acknowledged the low voter turnout and
asked for confirmation that early registration would help more
families vote, when the students in the families are voting.
MS. GALLAWAY answered that she has already witnessed that
outcome. As a civics educator, she is constantly teaching about
the elections and requires her students to discuss elections
with parents. She maintained that if students are registering
to vote, the conversations about citizen responsibility are even
further encouraged, and students may pressure their parents to
vote as well.
4:53:58 PM
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE asked whether Ms. Gallaway is limited in
her ability to teach anything about voting and civics without HB
250.
MS. GALLAWAY replied that the limit is in the form of students
feeling a lack of authenticity regarding the school civic
projects they do, because they don't really have a "voice." She
asserted that being able to engage in the legitimate legal
registration process gives authenticity to students and breaks
down the last barrier of disconnect.
REPRESENTATIVE VANCE expressed her concerns about parental
rights issues and giving more responsibility to schools. She
said that if schools take on more responsibility, it will
encourage parents to do less, and parents should be encouraged
to do more to engage their children. She acknowledged the
importance of good civics educators, but expressed that parents
have the responsibility to teach their children and she doesn't
want to see schools take over this area of responsibility.
REPRESENTATIVE HOPKINS stated that the proposed legislation
would drive dialogue in classrooms and at home.
[HB 250 was held over.]