Legislature(2025 - 2026)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
01/30/2025 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB64 | |
| SB70 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 64 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 70 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 52 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | HJR 4 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 64-ELECTIONS
3:34:27 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 64
An Act relating to elections; relating to voters; relating to
voting; relating to voter preregistration for minors at least 16
years of age; relating to voter registration; relating to the
Alaska Public Offices Commission; relating to synthetic media in
electioneering communications; relating to campaign signs;
relating to public official financial disclosures; relating to
the crime of unlawful interference with voting in the first
degree; and providing for an effective date."
3:35:11 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI presented SB 64 on behalf of the Rules
Committee, Senator Wielechowski, Chair. He stated that SB 64
began three years ago as a collaborative effort among lawmakers,
including Chair Kawasaki, Senator Shower, and Representative
Tuck, with input from the Governor's Office. He stated that
despite strong support, it missed deadlines in the past two
sessions due to drafting delays. He said SB 64 aims to:
• Clean up voter rollscurrently showing 106 percent more
registered voters than adult residents
• Eliminate voting barriers like the absentee witness
requirement
• Implement a ballot curing process
• Address issues like deepfakes and campaign transparency.
3:37:32 PM
DAVID DUNSMORE, Staff, Senator Bill Wielechowski, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, presented an overview of SB 64. He
moved to slide 2, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
SB 64 is a Comprehensive Election Reform
Cleans up Alaska's voter rolls
Removes barriers to voting
Faster and more transparent results reporting
Ballot tracking barcodes for absentee ballots
Bans the use of undisclosed deepfakes to influence
elections
Additional provisions to modernize Alaska's election
laws
3:38:04 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 3, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
SB 64 Includes Provisions from Bills Proposed by
Republican, Democratic, and Independent Legislators in
Recent Legislatures
32nd Legislature
• SB 39 (Sen. Shower)
• HB 66 (Rep. Tuck)
• HB 157 (Rep. Rasmussen)
• HB 267 (Rep. Schrage)
• HB 286/ SB 167 (Governor)
33rd Legislature
• SB 1 (Sen. Shower)
• SB 5 (Sen. Shower)
• SB 19 (Sen. Kawasaki)
• HB 37 (Rep. Schrage)
• HB 129 (House Judiciary)
• SB 138 (Senate State Affairs)
• HB 246/ SB 232 (Rep. Story/ Sen. Kawasaki)
• HB 358 (Rep. Cronk)
3:38:19 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 4, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Voter registration list clean-up
In 2022 it was estimated that Alaska's voter
registration list was equal to 106 percent of the
adult population. Sb 64 streamlines the process of
removing voters who have left the state.
Adds several indications of residency in another state
to the list of factors that trigger notice and
clarifies the definition of residency for voting.
Voters who do not verify their registration are moved
to inactive status. Inactive voters will not appear
on precinct registers although their votes will be
counted, and their registration reactivated if they
vote or request an absentee ballot.
3:38:54 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 5, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Current Voter List Maintenance Process
• Every January DOE mails non-forwardable notices
to voters who have not voted, updated their
registration, or signed a petition within two
general elections or who have had mail from DOE
returned to sender
• If the voter does not respond confirming their
address, DOE mails a second non-forwardable
notice informing the voter that if they do not
confirm their address within 45 days their
registration will be inactivated.
• Inactive voters registrations are canceled
completely if the voter does not vote or contact
DOE within two general elections.
3:39:55 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 6, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Expedited process under SB 64
• DOE will mail a single forwardable notice
requesting voters confirm their address with 45
days
• SB 64 expands the number of voters who will be
sent notices to include voters who there is
evidence have claimed residency in another state
• This process remains in compliance with the
requirements of the National Voter Registration
Act
3:40:22 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 7, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
SB 64 requires notices be sent when DOE learns a
voter
• Registers to vote in another state
• Receives a driver's license in another state
• Registers a vehicle in another state
• Receives public assistance from another state
• Serves on a jury in another state
• Obtains a resident hunting or fishing license
from in another state
• Pays resident tuition for a public university in
another state
• Receives a residential property tax exemption in
another state
• Receives a benefit only available to residents of
another state
3:40:42 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 8, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Clarifies the definition of residency and process to
challenge a voter's residency
This bill clarifies that a voter's residence is a
place where they have a definite, articulable, and
reasonable plan to return to whenever they are absent.
It also establishes that the presumption a voter's
registered address is accurate can be rebutted by
evidence that they reside at another location
3:41:14 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 9, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Codifies a procedure for voters to cancel their
registration
Currently the Division of Elections will cancel a
voter's registration if they request, but it is not
required by statute.
Voters would be allowed to cancel their registration
in person or electronically.
The process for cancelling a registration would be
posted at polling places.
3:41:42 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 10, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
SB 64 removes barriers to voting
Repeals the witness signature requirement for absentee
by mail ballots
Stops special needs ballots from being rejected
because of mistakes by poll workers or representatives
Creates a ballot curing process
Requires secure ballot drop boxes be made available
Requires postage paid return postage for absentee by
mail envelopes
Allows voters to register to vote within 30 days of
the election
3:42:23 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 11, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Repeals the witness signature requirement for by-mail
ballots
• In the 2022 special primary election, 2,724
ballots were rejected because of a missing
witness signature- 1.7 percent of all ballots
cast.
• Witness signature rejections disproportionately
affected rural Alaska and military voters.
• In District 38, 10.9 percent of all ballots cast
were rejected for missing witness signatures in
the 2022 special primary.
• In the 2024 general election, District 18, which
is mostly Joint Base Elemendorf-Richardson, had
more by mail ballots rejected than any other
district.
• There is no indication of any misconduct with
these rejected ballots.
3:43:17 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 12, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
The witness signature requirement provides no
meaningful election integrity protection
• DOE has testified that they do not verify that
witness signatures meet the statutory requirement
that they be from a person at least 18.
• The Division accepts as valid any mark made in
the witness signature portion of the envelope.
• There is no practical way for DOE to verify the
identity and age of witnesses from other states
and countries.
• The absentee by-mail envelope does not even
provide space for the witness to print their name
or provide their date of birth.
3:43:56 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 13, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Alaska Law Generally Allows Self-Certification of
Documents, and the Division of Elections Accepts Self-
Certification of Petition Booklets
3:44:35 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 14, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Creating a Ballot Curing Process
• Within 24 hours of receiving the ballot, the
Division mails a deficiency notice with curing
instructions.
• It the voter has a phone number on file, the
Division will call and text them as well.
• The voter returns the cure form confirming they
voted the ballot with a copy of their ID and a
signature.
• The cure process may be done electronically.
• A properly cured ballot will be counted if it is
otherwise valid.
• If the voter responds that they did not vote the
ballot, it will be referred to the Attorney
General.
3:45:27 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 15, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
A voter will be able to cure their ballot, and have it
counted if it would be rejected because:
The voter did not sign the ballot envelope.
The voter's signature cannot be verified.
The voter did not provide an identifier that can be
verified.
3:45:37 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 16 and explained the United States
map showing 24 of the 50 states with ballots-curing provisions.
He said blue states are yes and orange states are no.
3:45:52 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 17, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Stop special needs ballots from being rejected because
of mistakes by poll workers or voter representatives
• Currently special needs ballots can be rejected
because of mistakes by poll workers or voter
representatives.
• In the 2024 general election 5.7 percent of
special needs ballots were rejected, compared
with only 1.8 percent of by-mail ballots.
• Special needs rejections are especially high in
rural Alaska, with 37.5 percent of special needs
ballots in District 40 being rejected.
• Often one volunteer will deliver special needs
ballots to all residents of a senior living
facility, so if this person is not properly
trained an entire facility could have their votes
rejected.
3:46:50 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 18, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Requires secure drop boxes be provided for by-mail
ballots
• Secure drop boxes were offered in 2020 and 2022
but not 2024, resulting in voter confusion.
• Drop boxes would be required, if practicable, at
Division of Elections offices, and within
municipalities of at least 20,000 people.
• There would be at least one drop box for every
20,000 residents.
• The division shall establish criteria for
choosing drop box locations by regulation.
3:47:22 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 19 and showed an example of what a
return postage envelope for an absentee ballot will look like.
3:47:29 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 20, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Allows voters who register within 30 days of an
election to vote
Currently a voter must register in the state and
district in which they are voting 30 days before the
election.
This means an Alaska resident who moves within 30 of
the election might not be able to validly vote in any
district.
The Division already conducts same day registration
for presidential elections, but these votes are only
counted for president.
Voters registering within 30 days will only be able to
vote absentee, early, or questioned ballots which will
be reviewed to ensure the voter is eligible.
3:47:50 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 21, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Ballot tracking system for absentee ballots.
The Division already offers ballot tracking to allow
voters to check whether their ballot has Ballot
tracking system for absentee ballots been counted,
this bill requires tracking barcodes to allow ballots
to be tracked in the mail.
Voters can check the status of their ballot online and
see whether it has been counted or rejected.
This bill requires a multi-factor authentication
system to protect voters' privacy
3:48:13 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 22, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
SB 64 provides faster more transparent reporting
election results
Begin scanning absentee ballots before Election Day.
Providing ranked choice voting tabulations when
unofficial results are released.
Providing information about which ballots are included
in unofficial results allowing the public to know what
ballots have been counted and which ballots are
remaining.
3:48:42 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 23, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Begin scanning absentee ballots 7 days
Under current law, DOE cannot scan absentee ballots
until the polls close on Election Night
SB 64 will allow election results to be available
earlier by having the scanning of absentee ballots
begin seven days before Election Day.
Tabulated results will not be released until the polls
close at 8pm on Election Day.
3:49:02 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 24, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Adopt best practices for reporting ranked choice
voting results
This bill adopts the national best practices
identified by the Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center
requiring unofficial ranked-choice tabulations be
released along with the unofficial first round
results.
This will provide greater transparency throughout the
counting process and reduce confusion about results.
3:49:28 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 25, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Requires transparency for unofficial results
Which Election Day precincts have been counted
Which districts, days, and count codes of absentee
ballots have been counted
Which precincts and count codes of questioned ballots
have been counted
Count and reject code data for absentee ballots
reviewed
3:49:57 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 26, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Clarify rules for poll watchers and ballot review
observers
Currently statutes only provide for observers for
political parties, candidates, initiatives, referenda,
and recalls at polls and counting centers, and only
parties may observe the State Review Board.
This provision clarifies that candidates, ballot
measure, and ballot question campaigns may have
observers at polls, counting centers, and the State
Review Board.
Ballot questions include constitutional amendments,
judicial retention, bond propositions, and advisory
votes.
This bill also clarifies that campaigns may have
observers at all tables where ballots are being
reviewed within a counting center.
3:50:55 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 27, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Clear rules for challenging ballot review decisions
Currently it is unclear how long campaigns have to
file a challenge, and campaigns often have to
negotiate this with the regional counting centers.
This bill requires regulations to explicitly address
the challenge process.
These regulations must allow a reasonable time to
submit a challenge.
3:51:15 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 28, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Allows additional risk limiting audits
• Allows DOE to adopt regulations to adopt
additional audit procedures to ensure integrity
and accuracy of final results.
• The State Review Board reviews all results
before certification, including hand counting
one precinct per district, but current law
limits the scope of this review.
• Campaigns will be able to observe the State
Review Board process.
3:51:46 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 29, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Cybersecurity program
• Requires the division to adopt regulations
for a cybersecurity program to protect
records from hackers and data breaches.
• The program will include cybersecurity
training for elections officials.
3:52:04 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 30, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Synthetic Media
• Prohibits the use of undisclosed synthetic
media (commonly known as "deepfakes") to
influence elections.
• It also provides that someone defamed by an
election related deepfake may seek
injunctive relief.
• Any electioneering communication that uses
synthetic media must include a disclosure
statement: "This image/video/audio) has been
manipulated."
"Synthetic media" means an image, audio recording, or
video recording of an individual's appearance, speech,
or conduct that is manipulated by artificial
intelligence in a manner that creates a realistic but
false image, audio recording, or video recording
procedures.
3:52:35 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 31, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Repeal the requirement for Alaska Public Offices
Commission (APOC) to have offices in every Senate
district
• Current law requires the Alaska Public Offices
Commission to have offices in every Senate
district.
• They have never had the funding level to meet
this requirement.
• This bill replaces this requirement with a
requirement that they make reports available on
their website.
3:53:05 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 32, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Codifying the ACLU of Alaska v. State of Alaska
Settlement Terms
Alaska's billboard law bans advertising along state
roads. In a 2018 settlement the state agreed not to
enforce this ban against political signs 32 square
feet or smaller on private property if the sign is not
in a highway right of way or displayed for
compensation.
This provision updates the statutes to codify these
settlement terms.
3:53:29 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 33, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Require Public Official Financial Disclosures for
Redistricting Board Members
• Redistricting Board members would be added to the
list of officials who must file public official
financial disclosures with APOC.
• Financial disclosures allow the public to know of
any potential conflicts of interest.
• Dozens of boards already require financial
disclosures.
3:53:47 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 34, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Clarifies the Open Meetings Act applies to the
Redistricting Board
• The OMA requires public notice for meetings and
that decisions be made in public.
• In two different redistricting cycles, courts
have ruled against the board's argument that it
was not subject to the OMA.
• This will make it crystal clear in statute that
the board must follow the OMA.
3:54:17 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 35, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Allows voters to request to continue to sign up to
receive absentee by-mail for future elections
• The Division currently allows this for military
and overseas voters.
• This bill would allow voters to continue to
receive by-mail if they vote at least once every
four years.
• Every absentee ballot returned will continue to
be reviewed to ensure it is valid.
3:54:46 PM
MR. DUNSMORE moved to slide 36, and spoke about the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Codify language assistance requirements.
• Federal law requires the state to provide
language assistance for voting in certain
languages.
• Currently Alaska aids in 10 indigenous languages
and dialects as well as Tagalog. (Spanish is no
longer a language that is aided.).
• This bill requires that voters be able to request
that election materials be mailed to them in any
language for which the state is required to aid.
• Information about the availability of language at
polling where language assistance is available.
3:55:50 PM
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON asked whether the state has a requirement
to have an Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) office in
each Senate district.
3:56:16 PM
MR. DUNSMORE responded yes, it's in statute to have an office in
each Senate district but not enough funding has been provided to
support it.
3:56:49 PM
SENATOR YUNDT asked how individuals creating deepfakes can be
identified if the deepfake remains undisclosed.
3:57:23 PM
MR. DUNSMORE replied that SB 64 allows someone who's been
defamed to seek injunctive relief by filing a complaint through
the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC), which can then
issue a fine for the violation.
3:58:09 PM
SENATOR YUNDT asked Mr. Dunsmore to give an educated guess on
the fiscal note.
3:58:21 PM
MR. DUNSMORE responded he didn't know but the division has
submitted a fiscal note.
3:58:34 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI stated there is a fiscal note in the packet
that's been submitted by the division.
3:58:54 PM
SENATOR YUNDT asked whether its normal for a bill, like SB 64,
to go straight to the Finance committee without going to the
Judiciary committee.
3:59:18 PM
MR. DUNSMORE stated his belief that in previous legislatures
election bills were referred to the State Affairs Standing
Committee and Finance, but did not receive a referral to the
Judiciary Standing Committee.
INVITED AND PUBLIC TESTIMONY FOR SB 64 and SB 70
4:22:09 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI announced invited testimony on SB 64 and SB 70.
4:23:12 PM
JAN HARDY, President, American Federation of State, County and
Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Retirees, Anchorage, Alaska,
testified by invitation on SB 64. She said AFSCME strongly
supports four issues of SB 64. She stated them as follows:
• targeted voter cleanup is essential for maintaining a clean
and accurate voting system.
• create a more secure, modern, and transparent election
process.
• current witness signature requirement.
• voter registration reforms
4:25:52 PM
KENDRA KLOSTER, Director, Government Relations, Alaska
Federation of Natives, Anchorage, Alaska, testified by
invitation on SB 64 and paraphrased the following:
[original punctuation provided.]
The Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) is the largest
statewide Native organization in Alaska including a
membership of 174 federally recognized Tribes, 154
village corporations, 9 regional corporations and 9
regional nonprofit and Tribal consortiums.
In 2024's general election, 512 ballots were rejected
due to missing signatures at a rate of 8 percent.
Districts 38, 39, and 40 suffered the highest number
of rejected ballots due to the witness provision at a
rate of 14 percent
4:26:32 PM
MS. KLOSTER continued with her testimony.
I want to highlight some important voting reforms we
need to pass this year:
• Rural Liaisons we need more assistance in rural
Alaska during elections and ahead of elections to
ensure all our communities have the information
and equipment they need to run elections. We have
had issues every year in communities across
Alaska and while our organizations like AFN are
able and willing to help, and we do partner with
DOE and talked with them through the election AFN
has always been a strong supporter of ensuring
every Alaskan rural and urban - have the same
opportunities to make their voices count in every
election.
• Stats for Voting:
-In 2022's all VBM special primary, 7,500
ballots were rejected for the following
reasons:
-No witness signature 2724
-Ballot postmarked after election day 1897
-No identifier provided 1556 rural Alaska
lack postal services and limited post office
hours.
• Ballot Curing more than 30 states have a ballot
curing provision, we understand that mistakes can
happen and allowing voters to correct those
mistakes and allow their ballot to be counted is
the fair way to address this. Just tossing out
their ballot is not serving Alaskans.
• Removing Witness Signature in multiple
hearings, including one in state affairs just
this year, it was stated that the division of
elections does not verify witness signatures on
the ballot, yet hundreds of voters have had their
ballots discarded. This is silencing Alaskans
voice over a policy that is not even reviewed or
followed in any particular manner. The voter
already signs their ballot stating they are a
resident and are allowed to vote.
4:28:16 PM
MS. KLOSTER continued with her written testimony.
• Electronic Signature this is a provision that
has been worked on with other division directors
to get included to remove additional steps to
register to vote. At this time, those who have a
DL or ID through DMV they can register and use
electronic signatures on file, but if you do not
have a DL or ID then additional steps of printing
off the forms, signing and mailing back in. Many
places in rural AK do not have access to DMV.
• Language Access Alaska has some of the most
diverse districts in the nation, and many parts
of Alaska where English is not the primary
language which includes a large Yupik population.
We must ensure additional measures are taken to
strengthen language assistance and we appreciate
the bill recognizes this and hope we can work
with DOE to ensure more measures are taken.
• Same Day Voter Registration
• Permanent Absentee Voting this is a way to
remove unnecessary application for an absentee
ballot each year as many voters may vote by mail
each year, and the provision already has a
safeguard to ensure that voters do not stay on
this list if they stop voting.
• Ballot Drop Boxes increasing access, more ways
to drop ballots off securely, and making it
easier for voters.
I would like to caution legislators on measures that
will limit voting access especially thinking about the
challenges in rural Alaska, some of these include
(which are included in the governor's bill):
• Not allowing ballots to be counted after election
day. The mail in rural Alaska is often slow, not
to the fault of any Alaskan, but to the nature of
the remoteness of our communities, the inability
to have reliable service, and continued hardships
on the ability to even keep post offices opened
in some areas. There must be flexibility to take
into account the many rural villages across our
state and allow time for ballots to be mailed
back and counted. Alaskans should not be
penalized and not be able to exercise their
constitutionally protected right to vote.
• Immediate results are not as important in making
sure that all Alaskans have their votes counted.
• Support AVR AFN has passed resolutions
supporting AVR, this is an important provision to
keep. We do not need make it harder to register
to vote AVR has proven to be effective and
useful, please do not roll this provision back.
We need to be taking more measures and actions to
increase access to voting including the provisions
mentioned and increasing poll worker training, Div of
Elections (DOE) outreach to rural areas and building
stronger partnerships between DOE and Tribes, increase
opportunities for early voting every community
should have the opportunity to early vote, more
polling locations such as at medical centers
ANTHC/SCF is a hub for many communities and even
residents of Anchorage, we should have a voting
location here that is easy and accessible.
4:31:29 PM
MICHELLE SPARCK, Director, Get Out the Native Vote (GOTNV),
Anchorage, Alaska, testified by invitation on SB 64 and SB 70.
She stated she has worked as a director for two election cycles
or five elections. She stated that tribal IDs weren't mentioned
as valid ID forms in either bill and limiting automatic voter
registration to the DMV excludes many that can't access the DMV.
She said the PFD process reaches nearly everyone across the
state and removing registration maybe cut costs, but it cuts
access. She mentioned in 2022 some villages had no meaningful
access to vote in statewide elections and other ballots arrived
to late to count, post office dependencies block voting and
communication and will cause recurring issues in rural Alaka.
4:36:41 PM
MS. SPARCK continued with her testimony.
She stated that she supports the following for SB 64:
• allows same day registration
• pre-registering 16 yar olds
• adding rural community liaison to ease burdens on rural
supervisors
• language assistance
• early vote count
• postage paid on return envelopes for absentee ballots
• special needs accommodation
• ballot tracking system
• more drop boxes
She stated few concerns of SB 64 are:
• communities under 750 as permanent voting site could help
reduce high rejection rates in vote by mail experiences,
rural areas have a large rejection rate, and postal and
weather issues.
• ballot curing process
4:39:01 PM
MICHAEL GARVY, Policy Director, Alaska Civil Liberties Union
(ACLU), Anchorage, Alaska, testified by invitation on SB 64 and
read the following testimony:
[Original punctuation provided.]
I want to focus on the provision to establish a ballot
curing system. This is especially important in light
of a ruling last Friday in a lawsuit we and partners
filed in 2022, when thousands of ballots were rejected
for minor errors in the all-mail primary. The Alaska
Superior Court disagreed with our argument that, in
the absence of explicit legislative direction, the
Alaska Constitution requires the Division of Elections
to implement a notice-and-cure system.
While an appeal is still possible, the written
decision makes clear that the legislature must act to
establish a ballot curing system. Ballot curing would
address real problems. In November, more than 1,300
absentee ballots were rejected. Most of those were
rejected for, essentially, administrative or
inadvertent mistakes.
Additionally, a ballot curing system would not be a
radical policy change. The Division said in litigation
that it could administer an election including notice-
and-cure without increasing voter fraud, and never
claimed that implementing such a system would be
overly burdensome. In fact, the state already provides
notice to voters that their ballots were rejected; it
only does so after an election has occurred.
Finally, ballot curing would help Alaska better uphold
our fundamental voting rights and improve the
integrity of our elections. During litigation,
Division officials agreed that providing notice-and-
cure might actually increase voter confidence because
they know every eligible vote will be counted.
Ballot curing never allows an ineligible voter to vote
in an election. It simply gives eligible voters a
chance to prove that they are qualified, and for our
election results to better reflect the will of the
people. In a state where voting is the cornerstone of
our democracy, this is essential.
We urge the committee to advance SB 64 because it
includes this and other critical provisions that will
help ensure the voting rights of Alaskans and improve
the integrity of our elections.
4:41:28 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI opened public testimony on SB 64 and SB 70.
4:41:51 PM
RANDY RUEDRICH, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, testified
with concerns on SB 64 and SB 70. He stated that SB 64, Section
2 is troubling. The language is overly broad and solves one
issue by creating another. He urged against extending it to say,
"present residence." He thinks the litigation in the 3rd and 4th
circuits will require ballots to be received by Election Day,
eliminating the current 15-day grace period. He suggested
absentee in-person ballots should be received by the clerk by
Election Day. He said the state of Alaska should continue using
written signatures to ensure election security.
4:44:49 PM
MR. RUEDRICH continued his testimony stating SB 64, Section 30
raises concern. He stated his belief that voting results
shouldn't be shared before polls close. He is concerned with the
proposed cure process; it doesn't address the real issue. He
stated that rushing to fix a vague issue may create bigger
problems. He said that drop boxes don't significantly impact
early, in-person absentee, or out-of-state voting, which makes
up about a third of absentee mail-in and online ballots. He
criticized the section on synthetic media, stating neither
federal nor state governments have established rules on it and
warns against premature legislation. He suggested not including
the redistricting board in these proposals, noting it functions
like a quasi-judicial body and are treated like courts and the
legislature, which are exempt from open meetings laws.
4:48:56 PM
DOROTHY SHOCKLEY, Policy Justice Legislative Lead, Native
Movement, Fairbanks, Alaska, testified in support of SB 64. She
stated that she supports removing the witness requirement for
ballot signatures. She emphasized the importance of allowing
voters to correct ballots and support same-day registration,
particularly where internet and mail access are limited. She
highlighted serious postal service issues in rural Alaska,
citing 77 staffing vacancies in 2023. She advocated for
accepting tribal IDs since many rural residents lack access to
state ID services. She said community liaisons are recommended
to support absentee and early voting, which remains inaccessible
in many rural areas.
4:53:32 PM
DARLENE TRIGG, Vice President, Human Resources, Kawerak Inc.
Nome, Alaska testified in support of SB 64. She reiterated the
testimony from Ms. Shockley.
4:55:39 PM
BRITTANI ROBBINS, representing self, Wrangell, Alaska testified
in support of SB 64. She reiterated the testimony from Ms.
Shockley.
4:59:03 PM
EMILY LEAK, Executive Director, Alaska Voter Hub, Anchorage,
Alaska, testified in support of SB 64. She paraphrased her
written testimony as follows:
[Original punctuation provided.]
The Alaska Voter Hub is a coalition of 22 Alaska-based
nonprofits and community groups working together to
strengthen democracy through the collective power of
voting. With a diverse group of partner organizations,
the Voter Hub has a broad statewide reach of tens of
thousands of Alaskan voters. Through voter engagement
and non-partisan education we empower Alaskans in
every community to participate in elections at every
level. Our work aims to address any undue barriers
facing Alaskans at the ballot box creating a voting
system that is fully accessible to all Alaskan voters.
We seek to ensure that all eligible Alaskans
whatever their political persuasion can exercise
their right to vote and that all valid votes are
counted. We believe that if all eligible Alaskans are
able to exercise their right to vote, the democratic
process can flourish.
We are writing to express our support for SB-64, the
elections omnibus bill that expands voting rights and
voting access for Alaskan voters. These improvements
to Alaska's election system stand to increase access
to voters who have historically faced undue barriers
to accessing their right to vote and remedies to these
known challenges are long overdue.
5:00:00 PM
MS. LEAK continued with her testimony.
The Voter Hub Policy Working Group has highlighted the
following provisions as critical needed improvements
to Alaska's election systems:
- The removal of the witness signature requirement
The witness signature requirement is an unnecessary
element of absentee ballots. Given that the state does
not verify signatures, this requirement is an
unnecessary and outdated step that disempowers Alaskan
voters. This was evident in the 2022 statewide primary
election that was conducted by mail, when thousands of
votes were not counted due to missing signatures, and
again in the 2024 general election with over 500
ballots being rejected. Removing this requirement
would simplify the process and allow eligible voters
the opportunity to more seamlessly cast their ballots
by mail, and to ensure that their valid vote is
counted.
- The addition of a ballot curing process
Allowing voters the opportunity to fix honest mistakes
made when casting their ballot by mail ensures that
all Alaskans have equitable access to the voting
process, regardless of where they live. The 2022 vote-
by-mail special primary election is evidence that the
lack of a ballot curing process has disenfranchised
Alaskan voters. In this election, nearly five percent
of ballots were rejected, and rejection rates were
higher in precincts with greater percentages of
minority voters. Many of these ballots were rejected
because the voter identifier did not match the voter
record, no identifier was provided, or because a voter
did not sign the ballot. Establishing a system that
gives voters an opportunity to cure most notably a
system whose timeline and mechanics works for all
Alaskan voters, gives these voters the opportunity to
fully exercise their right to vote.
- Establishing same-day voter registration
Allowing voters to register on election day has shown
to increase voter turnout overall and is especially
beneficial to transient populations and young and low-
income voters. By allowing voters to register to vote
and update their registration up-to and on election
day, creates a voting system that is more accessible
and more equitable to Alaskan Voters and modernizes
the states systems to be aligned with 23 other states
and Washington DC. While Alaska allows for same day
registration when casting a ballot for presidential
candidates, expanding this opportunity to include
statewide elections further empowers Alaskan voters.
5:02:09 PM
JACKIE BOYER, representing self, Eagle River, Alaska, testified
in support of SB 64. She reiterated the above testimonies.
5:04:36 PM
SCOTT CRASS, representing self, Fairbanks, Alaska, testified in
support of SB 64. He reiterated the above testimonies.
5:07:01 PM
KAREN BUTTON, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, testified in
support of SB 64. She appreciated the bill's focus on rural
Alaska and its efforts to expand voter access rather than
restrict it. She expressed pride that Alaska aimed to improve
access through same-day registration, ballot curing, prepaid
postage, and electronic signatures. She also supported keeping
PDF registration and opposed requiring ballots to arrive by
Election Day, as in SB 70. She urged allowing formerly
incarcerated people to vote.
5:10:05 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI kept public testimony open for SB 64 and SB 70.
5:10:46 PM
SENATOR MIKE SHOWER, District O, Alaska State Legislature,
Juneau, Alaska, testified with concerns of SB 64 as written. He
emphasized SB 64 focuses heavily on access, which Senator Shower
supports, but said it lacks security measures like voter roll
cleanup, ballot tracking, and watermarking. He stated his belief
that the bill needs better balance. He stated that in the past
election bills were assigned 3 committees not 2 like SB 64.
5:13:58 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI held SB 64 and SB 70 in committee.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|---|---|
| SB0070A.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 70 |
| SB0064A.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| SB 64 Sectional Analysis.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| 2023 USPS Postmaster Relief Vacancy Site onlys.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
|
| AK Voter Hub - Letter of Support for SB-64.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
|
| Support Letter for SB 64.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| SB 70 Sectional Analysis version A 01.27.2025.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 70 |
| SB 70 Transmittal Letter version A 01.27.2025.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 70 |
| SB0070-1-3-012425-GOV-Y.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 70 |
| SB 70 DOE Presentation 01.30.25.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 70 |
| SB 52 Sponsor Statement (updated).pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 52 |
| SB 52 Sectional Analysis.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 52 |
| SB 52 Election Ballot Deadline.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 52 |
| SB 64 Fiscal note.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| SB 52 Power Point v. 2.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 52 |
| Support Letter for SB 64.4.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| Support Letter for SB 64.5.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| Support Letter for SB 64.3.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| letter for SB 64.2.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| SB 64 Support AFL CIO.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| General support for voting.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
|
| Susan A. Oppose SB 64.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| Oppose SB 52.2.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 52 |
| Oppose SB 52.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 52 |
| oppose SB 70.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 70 |
| Oppose SB 70.2.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 70 |
| SB 64 Secure Democracy USA AK Written Testimony 01302025.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| SSA Election Reform testimony Jan 2025.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
|
| Support letter for SB 64.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| SB 64 Sponsor Statement.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| SB 64 Sponsor's Powerpoint updated 1-30-25.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| fiscal note.DOA.SB 64.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| fiscal note SB 52.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 52 |
| SB 64 Alaska Center Letter of Support.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| Oppose SB 64.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| letter for SB 64.8.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| Letters of support SB 64.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| fiscal note.DOA.SB 64.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| First Alaskans testimony SB 70.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 70 |
| Support SB 70.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 70 |
| Oppose SB 70.3.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 70 |
| First Alaskans testimony SB 64.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 64 |
| Oppose SB 70.4.pdf |
SSTA 1/30/2025 3:30:00 PM |
SB 70 |