HB 250-VOTER REGISTRATION AGE    3:08:59 PM CO-CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS announced that the next order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 250, "An Act relating to voter preregistration for minors at least 16 years of age." 3:09:39 PM CO-CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS opened public testimony on HB 250. 3:09:46 PM JUDY SMITH, Board Member, Kids Voting North Alaska, testified that her board expressed that HB 250 would be very beneficial in enlisting youth involvement in their own registration process - more so than offered by the automatic system. The goal of her organization is to interest young people in voting early in their lives so that voting becomes part of the "family fabric." The organization urges students to vote with their families, thus, encouraging parents to vote. She expressed her belief that passage of HB 250 would raise the percentage of voters among young people and impact families as well. 3:11:02 PM ALEX KOPLIN, Kenai Peninsula Votes, testified that his organization is non-partisan and encourages people to vote. He expressed his support for the proposed legislation to increase voter turnout, to engage voters, and to highlight the importance of voting. He maintained that it would increase engagement among young people, as well as in high schools and in families. He emphasized that increasing the percentage of voters is a non- partisan issue and getting people out to vote is an ongoing challenge. 3:13:40 PM KENGO NAGAOKA, Youth Civic Engagement Coordinator, Alaska Center Education Fund, testified that he became involved in local issues at an early age. He works on voter engagement of young people and creating opportunities for young people to get involved in the political process. The work of his organization is non-partisan. He maintained that HB 250 would expand voter engagement opportunities into high school; most high schoolers turn age 18 after graduation. High school offers an incredible opportunity for teachers to be able to talk about voting with their students. He mentioned a practice in other states to send out voter registration forms with graduation diplomas. He said that HB 250 would provide an entry point for the next generation of Alaska leaders. 3:16:31 PM MAIDA BUCKLEY, paraphrased from her written testimony, which read [original punctuation provided]: Thank you for this opportunity to submit testimony regarding HB250. "A republic, if you can keep it." Ben Franklin's now famous words spoken at the conclusion of the Constitution Convention in 1787 carry authenticity today. These words acknowledge the fragile nature of representative democracy that is dependent upon citizen participation. It is the government's responsibility to protect and promote the right to participate, whether it is by speech, by petition, or by the vote. In this light, I support HB250's providing a process of pre-registration for 16 year olds. By engaging young people in the election process, HB250 strengthens our democratic republic. Studies have shown that voter turnout is enhanced when voter registration is streamlined. HB 250 instills in our youth the importance of voting to maintain democratic institutions and provides the foundation for creating a robust electorate, both principles guiding our founding fathers in their efforts to provide a strong and lasting democracy. MS. BUCKLEY added the following testimony: ... the government's responsibility to protect and promote the right to participate in our system of representative government. As a society, we believe that every student learn and recite the words to both the "Pledge of Allegiance" and "The Star-Spangled Banner." Similarly, learning the voting process, how to register, how to find polling places, let alone, reading and marking ballots, provide students with this tool. This bill fulfills the promise of representative government that our founders presented in the Declaration. In conclusion, it seems unfathomable that women were not allowed the right to vote a hundred years ago but as we celebrate this hundredth anniversary, I'm ironically reminded of [what] ... Antoinette Blackwell, an early suffragette, said, "We fully believed, so soon as we saw that woman's suffrage was right, everyone would soon see the same thing, that in a year or two, at farthest, it would be granted." MS. BUCKLEY pointed out that it took over 70 years for suffrage to be granted. She stated that since passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, suffrage has been extended to other groups, and other barriers to voting have been removed through government actions. She maintained that HB 250 represents a continuation of that trend. She expressed the value of Kids Voting in high school and civic engagement that directly involves students in the process, not just in theory, but in actual actions to ensure civic participation in the democratic republic. 3:20:36 PM RACHEL HARTMAN paraphrased from her written testimony, which read [original punctuation provided]: I am Rachel Hartman, an 18 year old senior at Matsu Career and Technical High School in Wasilla. I support this bill because I believe it will be an effective first step in mobilizing my peers to become more active in politics early on in their lives. When people are actively going to school they tend to be more engaged in how the government runs by way of Civics and Government classes. In Alaska we even have a student government conference called the Alaska Association of Student Governments abbreviated to AASG where around 300 students from all over Alaska come together twice a year to hear resolutions and decide whether we support them as a whole. In the past AASG has passed resolutions that support the lowering of the voting age to 16 under specific circumstances such as in 2018 it was only for municipal elections. Though this bill only establishes preregistration, it reflects the demands that Alaska's students have expressed so frequently. Young people want to get out there and do their civic duty and registration is a good place for them to start. Often people graduate at 17 and are not registered before they had [sic] off to college and are in a transitionary period, in that time many forget to register and vote as they turn 18 and are eligible for the first time in their lives. I believe this bill will help young people be ready to vote when they are available to perform their civic duty. CO-CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS closed public testimony. 3:22:32 PM REPRESENTATIVE VANCE clarified that the state has actively put in place a mechanism for automatic registration of Alaskans when applying for their PFDs. She maintained that the issue of people "falling through the cracks" has already been addressed, and pre-registration for 18-year-olds already exists. She said that she asked a 16-year-old what his/her peers thought about the topic; the response was that registering to vote at 16 and not being allowed to vote is a major letdown. REPRESENTATIVE VANCE maintained that she likes the educational element of the proposed legislation; however, HB 250 does not include any educational mechanism that the teachers don't already have. She expressed her understanding that the intent of HB 250 is to encourage engagement through activity in the process. She acknowledged that more needs to be done to make young people - and all Alaskans - aware of the process. She stated that her overall objection is due to the FN, which is a challenge at this time 3:25:23 PM REPRESENTATIVE STORY emphasized the importance of an educated public and encouraging young people to vote. She mentioned that she has witnessed the interest and engagement of students in local issues and elections - both in student government classes and at home. She expressed her belief that HB 250 would serve Alaskans well in the future by encouraging more people to be active in elections. She lamented the small turnout in elections and the fact that few voters are making decisions affecting municipalities and choosing their representatives. 3:27:30 PM REPRESENTATIVE THOMPSON moved to report HB 250 out of committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal note. There being no objection, HB 250 was reported from the House State Affairs Standing Committee.