03/20/2014 03:30 PM Senate COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

                SB 213-MUNICIPAL ELECTION BOARDS                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:37:37 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MICCICHE announced the consideration of SB 213, sponsored                                                                 
by the Senate Community and Regional Affairs Committee.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:38:03 PM                                                                                                                    
LARRY   SEMMENS,   Staff,    Senator   Micciche,   Alaska   State                                                               
Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, read a bill overview as follows:                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     There is  growing interest  by some  municipal entities                                                                    
     to  conduct  elections  by   mail  and  other  methods.                                                                    
     Current statutes  require municipalities to  appoint an                                                                    
     election board for each  precinct regardless of whether                                                                    
     the election board is needed.  When using other methods                                                                    
     than  in-person voting,  such as  when  ballots may  be                                                                    
     submitted  by  mail   or  electronic  transmission  and                                                                    
     election  board   is  not  needed  at   each  precinct.                                                                    
     Elections which do not involve  in-person voting do not                                                                    
     need  election boards  as there  are no  polling places                                                                    
     except for  an absentee precinct. The  requirement that                                                                    
     an  election board  be appointed  for each  precinct is                                                                    
     costly  and not  necessary.  This  bill clarifies  that                                                                    
     election  boards are  only required  for elections  and                                                                    
     precincts in which voters cast in-person ballots.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR. SEMMENS called attention to  a resolution in support from the                                                               
Alaska Association of Municipal Clerks.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:39:47 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR MICCICHE opened public testimony.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
3:40:11 PM                                                                                                                    
COLETTE  THOMPSON,  Borough  Attorney, Kenai  Peninsula  Borough,                                                               
Soldotna, Alaska, said she supports SB 213.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MICHELE   TURNER,  Borough   Clerk  Assistant,   Kenai  Peninsula                                                               
Borough, Soldotna, Alaska, said she supports SB 213.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
HOLLY   MONTAGUE,  Deputy   Borough  Attorney,   Kenai  Peninsula                                                               
Borough, Soldotna, Alaska, said she supports SB 213.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
3:41:13 PM                                                                                                                    
KATHIE  WASSERMAN, Executive  Director,  Alaska Municipal  League                                                               
(AML), Juneau,  Alaska, announced  that AML is  in support  of SB
.  She  pointed  out  Senator   Egan's  and  Chair  Micciche's                                                               
experience as locally elected  municipal officials. She explained                                                               
that the  two senators can  relate to  the fact that  when clerks                                                               
have  a  stand  on  something,   it  is  usually  based  on  good                                                               
knowledge.  She  said  SB  213 will  fix  something  and  provide                                                               
assistance for municipal clerks to make their jobs easier.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  MICCICHE  thanked Ms.  Johni  Blankenship  from the  Kenai                                                               
Peninsula Borough for bring the bill forward.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:42:48 PM                                                                                                                    
SENATOR GIESSEL moved SB 213,  labeled 28-LS1558\U from committee                                                               
with individual  recommendations and  attached zero  fiscal note.                                                               
There being no objection, the motion carried.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
3:43:02 PM                                                                                                                    
CHAIR  MICCICHE announced  that without  objection, SB  213 moved                                                               
from committee.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
3:43:10 PM                                                                                                                    
There being no further business to come before the committee,                                                                   
Chair Micciche adjourned the Senate Community and Regional                                                                      
Affairs Committee meeting at 3:43 p.m.