Legislature(2025 - 2026)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
02/04/2025 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| HJR4 | |
| SB64 | |
| SB70 | |
| SB52 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| += | HJR 4 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 64 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 70 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 52 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 52-ABSENTEE BALLOTS
4:15:30 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI reconvened the meeting and announced the
consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 52 "An Act relating to the day
on which ballots are counted in an election; relating to
absentee voting; and relating to early voting."
4:15:48 PM
ELEILIA PRESTON, Staff, Senator Shelley Hughes, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, presented an overview for SB 52.
She read slides 2-6.
4:16:17 PM
MS. PRESTON moved to slide 2:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Overview
Purpose of the legislation: To require all ballots be
received and counted on election day which will
bolster voter confidence, election integrity, and the
perceived credibility of Alaska nationally.
4:16:30 PM
MS PRESTON moved to slide 3:
[Original punctuation provided.]
What Does it Do?
A Shift Toward Efficiency
Ballot Tabulation Deadline
All ballots must be counted and tabulated by 11:59
p.m. on election night.
Ballot Security
Ballots that are delayed for delivery because of
weather or mechanical issues must be monitored by a
video recording device.
Early Voting Adjustments
Early voting timeline will be revised for early voting
to accommodate the new counting deadline.
4:17:02 PM
MS PRESTON moved to slide 4:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Handling Ballots Under Adverse Conditions
Ensuring Election Integrity in Challenging Scenarios
Transparent Storage
Ballots delayed by weather or mechanical issues must
be stored in transparent containers.
Continuous Video Monitoring
Stored ballots are monitored using video recording for
added security.
First-Day Delivery Post-Resolution
Delayed ballots must be delivered at the earliest
opportunity.
4:17:57 PM
MS. PRESTON moved to slide 5:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Current Challenges in Ballot Handling
Delayed Vote Counts: Existing laws allow delays in
ballot counting, reducing public trust in results.
Adverse Weather Impact: Alaska's remote areas and
extreme weather often hinder timely ballot transport.
Transparency Concerns: Inconsistent storage and
transport methods lead to doubts about ballot
security.
4:18:33 PM
MS. PRESTON moved to slide 6:
[Original punctuation provided.]
The Journey of the Ballot
Absentee Ballots
Civilian Ballots -- Day 10 Counted on Day 7,10,&15
Overseas Ballots -- Day 15 Counted on Day 7,10,&15
Early Vote Ballots
Early Ballots -- Same Day (except final days)
Question Ballots
Ongoing
Certification Ballots
Election results are certified on Day 16 -- Day 22
Side Note: Early voters that cast a ballot after the
register is printed function as absentee ballots.
4:19:02 PM
SENATOR SHELLEY HUGHES, District M, Alaska State Legislature,
Juneau, Alaska, as sponsor she continued the introduction of SB
52. She stated that in current statutes there is nothing about a
deadline for counting or reporting ballots. After a discussion
with Ms. Beecher, it was determined that the 11:59 [pm] deadline
was unrealistic due to the review board needing time to address
the arrival of absentee and questionable ballots. She said the
goal of SB 52 is to report results sooner. She stated it is
possible and with enough staff most results could be in by
election night or early morning, excluding final-day absentee
and questioned ballots. The goal is to boost voter confidence,
national credibility, and avoid delays that affect federal
delegate seniority.
4:23:02 PM
SENATOR HUGHES recommended the review board needs to get started
earlier to work on the absentee ballots.
4:23:38 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI asked when the board begins the ballot review
process and whether it is governed by statute or regulation.
4:23:59 PM
SENATOR HUGHES answered currently the board start 7 days in
advance, the governors bill suggest 10 days, and Ms Beecher
recommends 12 days in advance.
4:24:15 PM
SENATOR YUNDT asked what a reasonable deadline is for completing
ballot counting.
4:24:36 PM
SENATOR HUGHES answered Ms. Beecher was hesitant to have a short
deadline of 48 hours. She said Ms. Beecher wouldn't be as
concerned about a short deadline if they could hire more staff.
She suggested leaving off a deadline.
4:25:29 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI commented on how election day works in Fairbanks.
He stated 50 people, including volunteers, are staffed during
the election period. Staffing returns to 2 people after election
day. He asked whether the timeline is legitimate or is there an
existing structure that can absorb them.
4:26:11 PM
CAROL BEECHER, Director, Division of Elections, Anchorage,
Alaska, provided information related to SB 52. She stated she is
hesitant to set a firm deadline because many variables affect
when ballots are received. She said the absentee ballot process
has three steps: verification, sorting, and board review. The
division checks the certification on the envelope and sorts
ballots by precinct and date. Challenges are addressed at the
time the absentee ballot review takes place with the division
director required to be onsite. Next, ballots are opened and
prepared for scanning. She stated that if the Division of
Elections started reviewing 10 days before the election and
required ballots by election day, the division could do most of
the work ahead of timeleaving only election day ballots and
question ballots to be handled afterward, unlike now where
processing continues up to 15 days post-election.
4:29:04 PM
SENATOR HUGHES stated her belief that SB 52 is a good concept
for Alaska. She stated that after speaking with Ms. Beecher, she
recommends striking from Section Eight, page 4, the proposed
increase in overseas outgoing mailing days from 45 to 60 days
and domestic outgoing mailing from 30 to 45. She also suggested
keeping ballot return transportation methods flexible by
allowing alternatives to air transport.
4:30:40 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI opened public testimony on SB 52.
4:30:57 PM
ANTHONY REYNOLDS, representing self, Dillingham, Alaska,
testified with concerns on SB 52. He expressed concern that SB
52 sets an Election Day deadline for absentee ballots, which
could harm rural Alaska. As a logistics worker, he noted
frequent delays from weather, mail, staffing, and plane issues
and could prevent ballots from arriving on time. In Dillingham,
for example, some ballots weren't counted due to missing
postmarks, a result of post office errors. He urged improving
rural mail logistics before changing the law and called for some
deadline flexibility to ensure fair counting.
4:34:40 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI asked if Dillingham has early voting stations.
4:35:00 PM
MR. REYNOLDS answered Dillingham does but villages outside of
Dillingham do not. He opined that SB 52 would be detrimental to
people living in villages since they often do not have early
election voting sites and sometimes only have an election
official available a few hours a day for in person voting.
4:36:48 PM
ERICA AUS, representing self, Unalaska Dutch Harbor, Alaska,
testified in opposition to SB 52. She stated that the bill would
impact rural Alaska due to frequent mail delays and plane issues
that can backlog of mail for weeks. She stated that rural areas
also face staffing shortages, making a strict 11:59 p.m.
deadline unrealistic. SB 52 shortens early voting, which hurts
residents who travel or work long shifts.
4:39:19 PM
RANDY RUEDRICH, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, testified
with concerns on SB 52. He stated SB 52 could be incorporated
into SB 70.
4:40:14 PM
RITA TROMETTER, representing self, North Pole, Alaska, testified
with concerns on SB 52. She said she supports efforts to improve
elections but believes results should not take 1015 days after
Election Day and supports requiring photo ID to vote. She stated
it would be best if absentee ballots are received, not just
postmarked, by Election Day. Rural voters must be better
informed to vote early. She criticized re-scanning ballots as
inaccurate and called for partial hand counts to verify machine
results.
4:44:17 PM
SENATOR HUGHES noted her experience living in rural Alaska and
acknowledged mail delays but stated mail service is faster now.
She agreed with the previous testifier that Alaskans would need
to plan ahead.
4:45:16 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI held SB 52 in committee.
4:45:24 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI kept public testimony open on SB 52.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| HJR004B.pdf |
SSTA 2/4/2025 3:30:00 PM |
HJR 4 |
| CSHJR4 (RLS) Version G Explanation of Changes 1.26.25.pdf |
SSTA 2/4/2025 3:30:00 PM |
HJR 4 |
| HJR 4 Sponsor Statement 1.26.25.pdf |
SSTA 2/4/2025 3:30:00 PM |
HJR 4 |
| HJR004B.pdf |
SSTA 2/4/2025 3:30:00 PM |
HJR 4 |
| HJR4 Fiscal Note-LEG-SESS-01-24-2025.pdf |
SSTA 2/4/2025 3:30:00 PM |
HJR 4 |
| EF Resolution Opposing the Renaming of Denali.pdf |
SSTA 2/4/2025 3:30:00 PM |
|
| HJR 4 Support.pdf |
SSTA 2/4/2025 3:30:00 PM |
HJR 4 |
| Support letter. Public Citizen SB 64.pdf |
SSTA 2/4/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| public testimony SB 70.pdf |
SSTA 2/4/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 70 |
| Support letters SB 52.pdf |
SSTA 2/4/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 52 |
| SB 52 Support letters3.pdf |
SSTA 2/4/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 52 |
| SB 64 Public Testimony.pdf |
SSTA 2/4/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| Support.letters SB 64.pdf |
SSTA 2/4/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| SB 64 opposition letters.pdf |
SSTA 2/4/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| SB 64 Letter of Support_Native Movement (002).pdf |
SSTA 2/4/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| Letters of support SB 64.3.13.25pdf.pdf |
SSTA 2/4/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| SB 64. Ltr addressing pros.and cons.3.13.25.pdf |
SSTA 2/4/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| SB64 Letter of Support 2-3-25(2).pdf |
SSTA 2/4/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| SB 52 Sponsor Statement (updated).pdf |
SSTA 2/4/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 52 |