03/05/2024 03:30 PM Senate STATE AFFAIRS

            SB 232-VOTER PREREGISTRATION FOR MINORS                                                                         
                                                                                                                              
4:50:44 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR KAWASAKI announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO.                                                                   
232 "An Act relating to voter preregistration for minors at                                                                     
least 16 years of age."                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
4:51:11 PM                                                                                                                    
JOE HAYES, Staff, Senator Scott Kawasaki, Alaska State                                                                          
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, presented SB 232 on behalf of the                                                                  
sponsor:                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                       Sponsor Statement                                                                                      
                        Senate Bill 232                                                                                       
      "An Act relating to voter preregistration for minors                                                                    
                   at least 16 years of age."                                                                                 
                                                                                                                              
     With  the  implementation   of  automatic  registration                                                                    
     through  the  PFD  application, Alaska  took  one  step                                                                    
     closer  to ensuring  comprehensive voter  registration.                                                                    
     Through Senate  Bill 232 Alaskans  who are at  least 16                                                                    
     years  of age  will be  able to  pre-register to  vote,                                                                    
     taking that effort the next step.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     SB 232  focuses on  facilitating and  developing future                                                                    
     generations  of  eligible  voters, into  confident  and                                                                    
     active ones.  Across the  United States  younger voters                                                                    
     are becoming  more engaged in our  electoral processes,                                                                    
     and it now  falls to us in the  legislature to continue                                                                    
     to   advocate  and   expand  opportunities   for  young                                                                    
     Alaskans to make their voices heard.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     SB  232  allows  these  citizens  to  voluntarily  pre-                                                                    
     register  and   in  accordance  with   existing  Alaska                                                                    
     statute, become  eligible to be placed  on 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. By expanding the  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.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Pre-registration  is  increasingly  common  across  the                                                                    
     nation,  with 23  states and  the District  of Columbia                                                                    
     offering  some   form  of  preregistration   before  an                                                                    
     individual turns  18. The results in  these places have                                                                    
     shown increases  in younger voter  participation, which                                                                    
     leads  to lifelong  voters. SB  232 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.  This  simple  change to  Alaska's                                                                    
     current voter  eligibility requirements would  afford a                                                                    
     unique opportunity to young Alaskans  to be engaged and                                                                    
     informed about  current events that  they will  soon be                                                                    
     able  to   vote  upon  and  thereby   laying  a  strong                                                                    
     foundation in civics.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     As  Alaskans we  maintain one  of the  most unique  and                                                                    
     engaged  political system  across the  country, and  by                                                                    
     ensuring early access  to voter registration, materials                                                                    
     and  resources, we  are ensuring  greater participation                                                                    
     from younger voters for generations to come.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
4:54:01 PM                                                                                                                    
MR. HAYES presented the sectional analysis for SB 232:                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
[Original punctuation provided.]                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
                       Sectional Analysis                                                                                     
                        Senate Bill 232                                                                                       
      "An Act relating to voter preregistration for minors                                                                    
                   at least 16 years of age"                                                                                  
                                                                                                                              
     Section 1    Amends AS 15.07.040 :  Changes when Alaska                                                                    
     residents can pre-register to vote  to 16 years of age.                                                                    
     Current statute  allows citizens  who are 17  years old                                                                    
     to be able to register to  vote within 90 days of their                                                                    
     18th birthday.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:54:38 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR CLAMAN asked what would occur under SB 232 if someone                                                                   
registered 80 days before their birthday.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
4:55:05 PM                                                                                                                    
MR.  HAYES  said   SB  232  would  cover  them   and  change  the                                                               
registration age from 17 to 16 years.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
4:55:26 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  KAWASAKI announced  invited  testimony  and opened  public                                                               
testimony  on SB  232. He  introduced Amy  Galloway, Alaska  2020                                                               
Teacher of the  Year, detailed her work history,  and thanked her                                                               
for her dedication to her students.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
4:56:49 PM                                                                                                                    
AMY  GALLOWAY,  Teacher,  West  Valley  High  School,  Fairbanks,                                                               
Alaska, invited  testimony for SB  232. She expressed  her belief                                                               
that the bill would be a  powerful tool to support voter turnout.                                                               
Galloway   explained  that   her  students   often  struggle   to                                                               
understand the voter registration  process and would benefit from                                                               
tools to help  them navigate it. With  several upcoming elections                                                               
in  Alaska, she  emphasized the  importance of  ensuring students                                                               
are informed about the process.  Making voter registration easier                                                               
is crucial for protecting democracy  in Alaska and suggested that                                                               
schools are the ideal place to  teach students how to register to                                                               
vote. Under SB 232, teachers  could offer optional instruction on                                                               
voter  registration.  She  recalled her  experience  attending  a                                                               
local government  candidate forum with thousands  of participants                                                               
and  highlighted  the  low participation  in  voter  registration                                                               
among  students  due  to  the  18-year-old  age  requirement.  In                                                               
preparation  for her  testimony,  she surveyed  her senior  class                                                               
about lowering  the voting  registration age  and found  that the                                                               
majority believed it would make  a difference. One student stayed                                                               
after class  and mentioned that  their student council  adopted a                                                               
resolution  to lower  the voting  registration age.  Allowing 16-                                                               
year-olds  to  pre-register to  vote  would  engage them  in  the                                                               
electoral process  and increase  informed voter turnout  among 18                                                               
to  24-year-olds.  She  pointed  out that  18  states,  including                                                               
Florida, Louisiana,  and Hawaii, already  permit pre-registration                                                               
at 16-years-old,  and she  stated her  belief that  Alaska should                                                               
follow suit.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
5:02:00 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR KAWASAKI asked about the current size of her classes.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
5:02:13 PM                                                                                                                    
MS.  GALLOWAY  responded that  most  of  her classes  consist  of                                                               
around 29  students. However, higher numbers  are accommodated in                                                               
World  and  U.S.  History  classes to  accommodate  the  need  to                                                               
rebuild  other  programs. She  expressed  concern  that as  class                                                               
sizes  increase,  specialty  classes  are lost  due  to  lack  of                                                               
funding.  There   is  a  risk  of   potentially  losing  advanced                                                               
placement (AP) government as a result.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
5:03:41 PM                                                                                                                    
ALEX  KOPLIN, League  of Women's  Voters, Homer,  Alaska, invited                                                               
testimony  for SB  232. He  highlighted several  reasons why  the                                                               
League  of  Women   Voters  supports  preregistration,  including                                                               
studies that  have shown the  impact of  preregistration efforts.                                                               
Koplin  noted   that  18   states,  including   Washington  D.C.,                                                               
currently  allow preregistration.  SB  232 has  the potential  to                                                               
bring about  positive change  in Alaska.  Having voter  drives in                                                               
high  schools is  an excellent  avenue for  civics education  and                                                               
allowing  young students  to complete  voter  applications at  16                                                               
would be an effective way  to introduce topics issues and educate                                                               
students on  relevant issues.  He spoke to  the importance  of SB
  in  ensuring  readiness and  lifelong  political  engagement                                                               
among  young  people.  He  noted that  many  teenagers  miss  the                                                               
deadline  for  voter  registration.  Allowing  young  people  the                                                               
opportunity to register  to vote at an earlier  age would address                                                               
this  issue.  He  suggested  a   shift  from  the  approach  that                                                               
attributes  young people  as  "lazy" or  "uncaring"  to one  that                                                               
emphasizes  action  and support.  He  said  the League  of  Women                                                               
Voters in Alaska fully supports SB 232.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
5:09:21 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR KAWASAKI left public testimony open on SB 232.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
(Timestamp)                                                                                                                     
CHAIR KAWASAKI held SB 232 in committee.