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.