HB 267-CURING REJECTED ABSENTEE BALLOT  4:39:42 PM CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS announced that the final order of business would be HOUSE BILL NO. 267, "An Act relating to curing a rejected absentee ballot; and providing for an effective date." 4:40:06 PM REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE, Alaska State Legislature, as prime sponsor, introduced HB 265. He presented the sponsor statement [included in the committee packet], which read as follows [original punctuation provided]: HB267 requires the Division of Elections to notify and provide Alaskan voters the opportunity to verify their identity and correct errors on their absentee ballot that would otherwise cause the ballot to be rejected, such as a missing date or signature. This bill accomplishes this important goal while promoting the integrity of our voting process and strengthening faith and accountability in our election system. In the November 2020 General Election, over 200,000 Alaskans voted through an absentee ballot, more than any other election in Alaska's history. During this same election, 1,118 absentee ballots were rejected and, in many cases, due to minor yet disqualifying errors such as failure to sign or date a ballot. The option to vote absentee has long been utilized by Alaskan voters and has provided an opportunity for those serving overseas, out-of-state students, seniors, individuals with special needs, and all Alaskans an alternative to in-person Election Day voting. HB267 helps to ensure the right to vote is not jeopardized due to minor errors on absentee ballots. It requires the Division of Election to notify voters if their ballot is at risk of being rejected and provide the opportunity to verify their identity and eligibility in order to "cure" their ballot. The Division may notify voters through mail, telephone, email, or text message and must do so no longer than three days after the ballot is rejected. Ballot curing has been a component of state elections for decades and 24 other states require voters to be notified when there is a missing signature or signature discrepancy on their ballot and be granted an opportunity to correct it. This process does not allow voters to change their vote and is already practiced in local elections in Juneau and Anchorage. HB267 ensures that eligible Alaskan voters who participate in our electoral system by voting absentee have the opportunity to remedy issues with their ballot and ensure that their vote is counted. Most notably, HB267 accomplishes this while upholding the integrity of our voting process and strengthening faith in our election system. CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS invited questions from the committee. 4:42:27 PM REPRESENTATIVE EASTMAN directed attention to the language "the director may notify the voter by telephone, electronic mail, or text message" in Section 1 and asked whether the "may" is operative in the sense that the director is being given the authority to do so. He wondered whether the methods of contact listed on page 1, line 10, should be broader or replaced with the language "any means available". REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE deferred to DOE. 4:44:15 PM MS. THOMPSON offered to follow up with a response after a discussion DOL. 4:44:31 PM REPRESENTATIVE CLAMAN inquired about the differences between CSHB 66(JUD) and HB 267. REPRESENTATIVE SCHRAGE observed that the relevant sections are identical. He opined that elections have become a contentious issue; further, given the pandemic and the natural geographic diversity and challenges of Alaska, absentee ballot voting is a critical tool to providing access to voting. Given the fact that the witness signature requirement may be reinstated, he expressed his belief that addressing the curing of a rejected absentee ballot is critical, so that votes are not rejected for small mistakes. Additionally, he shared his belief that a narrow focus helps a bill become more palatable and efficient in the legislative process. CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS remarked, "Effectively, it's another vehicle at our disposal." 4:46:41 PM CHAIR KREISS-TOMKINS announced that HB 267 was held over.