Legislature(2025 - 2026)BELTZ 105 (TSBldg)
03/11/2025 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS
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| Audio | Topic |
|---|---|
| Start | |
| SB64 | |
| SB62 | |
| SB71 | |
| SB19 | |
| Adjourn |
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
| *+ | SB 62 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 71 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| *+ | SB 19 | TELECONFERENCED | |
| += | SB 64 | TELECONFERENCED | |
SB 64-ELECTIONS
3:31:11 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."
3:31:44 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI solicited a motion.
3:31:50 PM
SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON moved to adopt the committee substitute
(CS) for SB 64, work order 34-LS0153\H, as the working document.
3:32:04 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI objected for purposes of discussion.
3:32:19 PM
DAVID DUNSMORE, Staff, Senator Bill Wielechowski, Alaska State
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, presented the summary of changes
for SB 64:
[Original punctuation provided.]
Summary of Changes
Introduced Version I to Draft CS Version H
The following provisions were removed from the bill:
• Section 3 relating to preregistration of minors.
• Section 20 relating to questioning of a voter who
requested an absentee ballot.
• Section 30 related to the timing of scanning
ballots.
• Section 38 related to synthetic media.
The following provisions from Senate Bill 70,
introduced by the Senate Rules Committee by request of
the governor, were added to this bill:
3:32:57 PM
MR. DUNSMORE continued with the summary of changes:
• Repealing the requirement that poll worker
compensation be set by regulation.
• Allowing cover sheets for absentee ballot packets
to be submitted electronically.
• Repealing the requirement for specific dimensions
for voting booths.
• Beginning absentee ballot review 10 days before
Election Day.
• Repealing the requirement that absentee ballots
that arrive after the statutory deadline be
counted during a recount.
• Adding becoming ineligible for a Permanent Fund
Dividend to the list of criteria that triggers a
voter roll clean-up notice. This provision was
added to the criteria already in SB 64.
The following provisions were added to the bill:
• In the various statutes related to identification
required for voting and registering to vote,
tribal identification cards are added to the list
of acceptable identification and hunting and
fishing licenses are removed from the list.
Where current utility bills, banks statements,
paychecks, government checks, or other documents
are allowed as identification it is clarified
that these documents must be issued in the last
90 days. These provisions are in Sections 4-5,
24, 34, and 38.
• A new Section 16 was added to clarify that
registering to vote through a Permanent Fund
Dividend is not considered contacting the
Division of Elections (Division) for purposes of
the voter roll clean-up process.
• A new Section 45 was added clarifying that
opening or tampering with a sealed ballot
envelope without permission or breaching or
hacking a voting machine is considered unlawful
interference with an election. This provision
was originally included in Senate Bill 7 by
Senator Shower in the 33rd Legislature.
• A new Section 46 adding disclosing the results of
an election before the polls close to the crime
of election official misconduct in the first
degree. This provision was originally included
in Senate Bill 7 by Senator Shower in the 33rd
Legislature.
3:35:02 PM
MR. DUNSMORE continued with the summary of changes:
The following changes were made to existing provisions
in the bill:
• In Section 26 related to unofficial election
results, details of rejected ballots were removed
from the list data that must be reported when
unofficial results are released.
• In Section 28 related to the state review board
process, existing statutory language suggesting
that observers assist with the review is removed
and ballot question campaigns are added to the
list of campaigns who may have observers.
• In Section 35 related election materials in other
languages the phrase "sample ballot" was added.
• In Section 43 related to ballot drop boxes, the
new statute is renumbered to clarify these drop
boxes will be available for all elections, the
requirement for drop boxes outside of Division
offices is removed, and municipalities are
authorized to provide drop boxes under
regulations adopted by the Division.
• In Section 47 related to cybersecurity, the
lieutenant governor is given the responsibility
for developing a cybersecurity program instead of
the director.
3:36:19 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI stated that SB 64 has grown to about 29 pages. SB
64 includes portions from the governor's original proposal back
in January, the Senate Rules Committee version, and several
bills this committee has worked on over the past two years. He
said there shouldn't be anything entirely new or unexpected in
SB 64.
3:37:06 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN asked whether, with the removal of the
synthetic media provision from Section 38, the new committee
substitute includes any language addressing artificial
intelligence and protections for broadcasters.
3:37:29 PM
MR. DUNSMORE answered that the provisions related to synthetic
media were completely removed from the bill and will allow the
committee to work on a more comprehensive approach that doesn't
just include election provisions.
3:37:52 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN stated that he's aware the Alaska Broadcasters
Association raised a concern about their liability for election
related synthetic media advertising and an AI policy may be an
area the sponsor might consider including.
MR. DUNSMORE said there is nothing in SB 64 that would create
additional liability.
3:38:40 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI stated that SB 64 is still a work in
progress. He said SB 64 was starting to feel top heavy, so the
idea was to move synthetic media and AI issues to a separate
bill. He stated that he was not opposed to including synthetic
media and AI to SB 64 if the committee wants to include it.
3:39:18 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI stated that he had mentioned SB 64 getting too
long. He spoke with Senator Hughes from District M, who's
interested in AI legislation and the possibility of moving the
topic to her bill. He said adding synthetic media and AI is up
to the committee. AI language was in both the original Rules
committee version and last year's bill, so it's not new. He
stated that the focus is to keep SB 64 focused on elections and
registration.
3:40:14 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN asked whether, given the national focus on
required photo ID when voting, a photo ID requirement was
considered and discussed during the drafting of this committee
substitute.
3:40:52 PM
MR. DUNSMORE answered that this was the only voter ID provision
submitted to his office by another legislative office during the
drafting process. He deferred the question to the sponsor of SB
64.
3:41:15 PM
SENATOR WIELECHOWSKI answered that the policy aims to address
perceived gaps in the election system. He said tribal ID cards
were added as acceptable ID and removed hunting and fishing
licenses since those often lack photos. Current law allows
utility bills, bank statements, paychecks, or government checks,
and his office extended the valid timeframe to 90 days to verify
current info. He stated that a key concern with photo ID
requirements is a lack of DMV offices in rural Alaska which
leaves some eligible voters without photo IDs. He said the
committee and sponsor need to tread carefully not to restrict
anyone's constitutional right to vote, but he's open to
discussion.
3:42:55 PM
SENATOR BJORKMAN asked whether current law allows a poll worker
to permit someone to vote if the voter is personally known to
them.
3:43:17 PM
MR. DUNSMORE answered yes, except when the voter has registered
to vote electronically.
3:44:14 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI opened public testimony on SB 64.
3:44:35 PM
LANI GERKEN, representing self, Anchorage, Alaska, testified in
support of SB 64 and stated that the changes are simple but
important.
3:46:03 PM
DAVID ZIMMER, representing self, Palmer, Alaska, testified with
concerns on SB 64. First, he has voted by mail for years, but
every year is required to submit a new application. He said it
would be more efficient and cost-effective if the state created
a permanent vote-by-mail request list. Second, he said he
shouldn't have to pay postage to return his ballot. Postage
should be prepaid.
3:47:10 PM
EMILY LEAK-MICHIE, Executive Director, The Alaska Voter Hub,
Anchorage, Alaska, testified in support of SB 64 and emphasized
the importance of ballot curing, removing the witness signature,
providing prepaid postage, and adding a rural voting liaison.
These changes address real challenges, especially for rural
Alaskans and non-English-speaking communities.
3:49:33 PM
FRANCISCO(CISCO) MERCADO, Policy Director, Alaska Community
Action on Toxics (ACAT), Anchorage, Alaska, testified in support
of SB 64 and read the following:
[Original punctuation provided.]
SB 64 is necessary legislation that would reform
several key parts of our Alaska election system by
expanding voting rights and voting access. People need
a system that ensures that all votes are accurately
tabulated. SB 64 would create a ballot-curing process
to ensure this. Including a ballot-curing process will
allow voters to correct honest mistakes on their mail-
in ballots. In the first year implementing the vote-
by-mail system (2022), 4.5 percent of ballots were
rejected by election officials, with a large
percentage of those ballots from four House districts
with greater percentages of minority voters and off
the state's road system.
Another important feature of the bill is that it will
allow same-day voter registration. Currently, 23
states and the District of Columbia allow voter
registration up to and including election day. One of
the benefits of this provision is that it effectively
results in increased turnout of voters among the ages
of 18 to 24. One of the reasons for this provision is
that it benefits people who move residences ahead of
an election which occurs more frequently among younger
and low-income individuals. Please ensure that !he
final bill includes this provision.
Lastly, the bill would remove an unnecessary feature
of voting by mail, the witness signature provision.
The state currently does not verify signatures and
eliminated 7,500 ballots due to this provision. This
deprives our Alaska voters of the fundamental right to
have their voice heard at the ballot box.
In conclusion, ACAT strongly supports SB-64 for all
the above reasons. We strongly encourage you to
support this bill.
3:52:29 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI closed public testimony on SB 64.
3:53:13 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI removed his objection. [He found no further
objection and CSSB 64 was adopted as the working document.]
3:53:18 PM
CHAIR KAWASAKI held SB 64 in committee.