CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 187(STA) "An Act relating to absentee and special needs voting." This was the first hearing for this bill in the Senate Finance Committee. LORETTA BROWN, staff to Senator Ward, read the sponsor statement into the record as follows. This legislation will require the director of elections to notify the voting public of all "absentee in person voting" locations at least 60 days prior to an election. It will also provide a uniform statewide opening date for absentee in person voting. Currently the location and opening periods for absentee voting stations is at the discretion of the director of the division of elections and requires no public notice. This has led to some inconsistencies in opening dates and voting locations. SB 187 requires that the director of the division of elections provide full public notice of the location of all absentee voting stations at least 60 days prior to each election. No new absentee voting stations sights may be added or opened after the 60-day notification period. th Absentee voting stations will be operated on or after the 15 day before a primary, general, or special election. Qualified voter may apply in person for an absentee ballot at the th absentee voting station on or after the 15 day before an election up to and including the date of the election. Absentee voting stations can not be opened early. Having a uniform state wide opening date and prior notification of all absentee voting in person locations will make for less confusion for the voters and a more even playing field for all concerned. Amendment #1: This amendment changes the number of days required for notification of absentee voting station locations from 30 days to 45 days before each election. Senator Ward moved for adoption. Co-Chair Kelly objected for an explanation. Senator Ward noted the Senate State Affairs Committee had changed the requirement from the originally proposed 60 days, to 30 days and this amendment would be a compromise. Senator Ward spoke to the legislation itself. He shared that during the previous legislative election, he became aware of "unexplained radio and television advertisements" sponsored by his opposing candidate and candidates in other races. He then learned that absentee voting would begin at the Dimond Center sooner than originally scheduled. He noted the Division of Elections spent $35,000 advertising the earlier opening. Speaking on behalf of himself and other candidates, who were now sitting on the Committee, he expressed, "This caught some of us flat footed." He questioned how the opposing candidates learned of the earlier opening sooner than he and other Republican candidates did. Senator Ward remarked the reason for this legislation is to set the opening dates into law rather than at the discretion of the lieutenant governor and the director of the Division of Elections. He asserted that the process is already established in statute, but commented, "They violated that law." Senator Ward stated that while 30 days is not adequate for notification purposes, 45 days is ample time for candidates to relay to voters when and where absentee voting is available. Co-Chair Kelly removed his objection and the amendment was ADOPTED. Senator Ward noted neither the Division of Elections nor the Administration opposed this legislation, to his understanding. He stated this legislation is "clean up language to put into writing what we all thought the rules were." GAIL FENUMIAI, Election Program Specialist, Division of Elections, Office of the Governor, agreed that the division does not oppose the legislation. She clarified that the absentee voting stations for the 2000 general election were opened one week prior to the 15 days originally announced, or 22 days prior to Election Day. She stated this was done under statutory authority to open those voting locations early if the ballots are available and ready for distribution. She noted this was an unusual circumstance. She told of voters coming into the regional elections offices asking for ballots, citing travel plans and other reasons they would be unable to wait until the posted opening date. She stressed all political parties were notified by telephone of the earlier opening and that the division advertises the beginning of absentee voting in every election as part of normal procedures. Senator Ward offered a motion to move from Committee, CS SB 187 (STA), with accompanying zero fiscal note from the Office of the Governor. There was no objection and the bill MOVED from Committee.