SB 87-SPECIAL ABSENTEE BALLOTS  CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT commented he had assured Senator Lincoln they would get to a brief discussion of her bill. SENATOR LINCOLN said her aide, Sara Boario, would explain the bill. SARA BOARIO, staff to Senator Lincoln, explained SB 87 would extend the 60 day special absentee ballot to voters living in remote areas. Now only voters living, working or traveling outside the United States are eligible. This legislation is a result of requests by the Coy and Bower families. They outlined the difficulties they faced in the last election. There are many people who live in Bush Alaska and outside of organized communities. Mail service is irregular and sometimes non-existent and the limited time frame of the regular absentee ballot makes it difficult to exercise their right to vote. The regular absentee ballots are sent out three weeks before an election and this in not enough time, particularly during the winter. As Representative Coghill said when he introduced HB 109, voting is the fundamental method citizens use to participate in our democracy. Therefore, improving the process for even a small number of individuals is imperative. There is no fiscal impact associated with the bill. SENATOR LINCOLN noted there were a number of teleconference testifiers who were available that morning but could not wait until the committee met in the afternoon. SENATOR PHILLIPS asked for the definition of remote site. GAIL FENUMIAI, Election Program Specialist with the Division of Elections, responded remote sites are those without reasonable access to polling stations. CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked how many individuals would be affected if they gave voting some planning and thought. The 60 day special absentee ballot is available to those who are out of the country and there you're relying on another countries mail system. Although he is well aware of the importance of allowing individuals the opportunity to vote, people must take some responsibility to exercise that duty. He asked whether the division of elections is aware of a number of people who are precluded from voting due to the time constraints. MS. FENUMIAI said these voters do take the necessary steps to apply for a regular by mail ballot but some of the remote areas do not have mail service. They must charter a plane to get their mail brought to them so in the wintertime the three week time frame passes quickly. She did not have a quantifiable number of voters that are affected but they have received a number of comments from angry voters who did not get their ballots back in time for them to be counted. MS. BOARIO added that Shelly Growden, election supervisor for region three, reported over 1,000 voters living in remote areas in the interior and Prince William Sound area that are classified as permanent absentee voting areas. Many of those voters live outside organized communities and have no mail service. CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked for confirmation that the definition of remote is in statute. MS. FENUMIAI thought it was in statute but did not recall seeing it in Title 15 but the term "reasonable access remote area" is used in other locations in statute. CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT was concerned that it not become the division's responsibility to ensure each individual gets a ballot. MS. FENUMIAI agreed and said the division would have to decide on a procedure for identifying these people. CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT asked how the special 60 day absentee ballot works. MS. FENUMIAI replied that for the primary the voter gets a blank ballot with a list of offices that are up for election in the district in which they reside and a list of candidates who have filed for office. The voter may then write in the name of a candidate. They are also sent the official ballot and if that one is voted, returned and received in time it is counted. If not, the special event ballot is counted instead. For the general election, the voter gets the same type of ballot but they have the option of either writing in the name of the candidate or writing in the party of their choice for each office. This is because the election results are not certified for the primary at that time and that voter's candidate of choice may not have advanced to the general election ballot. CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT said he wants to know more about the definition of remote and how that would work. He also asked whether voting by fax was an in state option or available to just out of state voters. MS. FENUMIAI assured him fax voting is available to voters both in and out of state. Side B CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT assured Senator Lincoln the discussion would continue and that he needed more information on how remote would be defined and the controls the division would institute. SENATOR LINCOLN said huge numbers of voters would not be affected but people that do make every effort to vote should be accommodated. CHAIRMAN THERRIAULT held the bill in committee.