[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6328656,"mediaKeyId","2318482-957a3ec4a6a2c98aa2bae5c50161e721","parentId",2318482,"title","Committee hears broad testimony on HB 43 election changes; staff outlines sectional analysis, division flags operational challenges","audioSeconds",2625,"startMs",2628000,"endMs",5253000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2318482-957a3ec4a6a2c98aa2bae5c50161e721&start=2628&end=5253","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2318482-957a3ec4a6a2c98aa2bae5c50161e721/thumbnail_2628000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6328656/Alaska/Committee-hears-broad-testimony-on-HB-43-election-changes-staff-outlines-sectional-analysis-division-flags-operational-challenges","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6328656-1ac732853cc2c3cc0dc0ed32685902d0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770976537&Signature=os4RtWXUZcNpDkKd16u4tUoW~fu2Q4C8xEQ9NcpH7pDPvmLS85b09~klnJ5Ia8nR7CJ3k3xBLDOjp95RxlMuPcq0hFHTol6ROaPSbGFiqSW0p~aZTlrQkfzRkJMYRtKoSSPN6rRaEliesz0jL2h8hPfnax6Wc2OLkhmTIjSomH5bd0gRIibEYUklBmb6tKlKiR8N2aMC7qRxBfS-5tsW1q7SOexWvqi5dXYmuqtbs2vfVqv7KRkQXH5QvASnJnncStLCBfG~1ezp5fUBPBO4lnVhPXAERl0IQolrh6N2FYmHGjpt8uHzQU5dVR-Ldh0TY~78MrhJXY-CyQpyJIFd1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska Legislature","date","2025-02-14T00:00:00Z","article","The House State Affairs Committee took public testimony Feb. 13 on House Bill 43, a comprehensive elections bill that would change registration windows, expand early voting and alter absentee-ballot procedures across Alaska.

Staff presented a sectional analysis that lists the bill’s major changes: permit registration within 30 days before or on election day (sections 1–4); allow those who register within 30 days to cast absentee in‑person, special-needs or question ballots; require the Division of Elections to provide instructions on party-affiliation completion; replace the current 15-day early-voting window with a 30-day early-voting window at designated early-vote stations; provide postage-paid return envelopes for absentee ballots; eliminate the witness-signature requirement; require the Division to begin reviewing absentee ballots 10 days before Election Day; and create a ballot-curing process that would allow voters to correct deficiencies so their ballots would be reviewed by the State Review Board (staff summary, sections 1–29). The bill also includes an uncodified provision setting an effective date of Jan. 1, 2026.

Supporters said several provisions expand access. Rob Weldon of Douglas said HB 43 \"will increase access to the ballot box\" and praised the postage-paid envelope and a ballot-curing process. Michelle Spark, director of Get Out the Native Vote, noted HB 43’s curing process and postage-paid envelopes could reduce rejections, especially in rural communities where mail access is challenging. League of Women Voters members and municipal election officials also supported postage-paid return envelopes, elimination of the witness-signature rule, and a curing process that gives voters a chance to fix missing information before ballots are rejected.

Opponents and some election officials warned of operational and security trade-offs. Randy Rudrick and other witnesses said same-day registration and elimination of witness signatures carry fraud risks and could increase the Division’s workload. Peggy Robinson, an early-vote coordinator in Anchorage, said expanding early voting to 30 days would strain election workers and chairs who already work long hours; Director Carol Beecher of the Division of Elections told the committee that moving early voting to 30 days would impose substantial logistical challenges because of ballot printing, candidate withdrawal deadlines and overlapping election events (including REAA elections). Beecher said the early-voting change would affect the 12 statewide early-vote stations and could require redoing the fiscal note for staffing and overtime costs.

Senator Mike Schauer, appearing as a testifier, said he supports several HB 43 reforms but urged the committee to pair access improvements (curing, paid postage) with stronger ballot-tracking and verification measures. He said Alaska’s voter rolls have been inflated by repeated automatic registrations tied to the Permanent Fund Dividend application process and noted that after PFD-based registrations the Department of Revenue removed roughly 44,000 entries last year; he said any expansion of access should address roll accuracy and verification.

Committee members asked detailed operational questions: how barcode-based tracking would function in Alaska’s mail environment; how multilingual sample ballots are produced and at what internal deadlines; and the fiscal impact of expanding early voting. Sponsor staff provided a section-by-section summary and noted the bill designates early-vote stations to begin at 30 days before an election, while a staff-produced fiscal estimate (discussed with the Division) placed recurring biannual staffing costs at roughly $141,800 for the additional period at early-vote stations (an additional $47,500 would be required to include absentee in-person locations, per sponsor-staff fiscal summary).

No committee vote was taken on final passage. The sponsor’s staff and the Division agreed to continue technical discussions about ballot printing schedules, multilingual sample ballots, ballot tracking and fiscal implications. The committee set HB 43 aside for a future hearing and did not set an amendment deadline at the Feb. 13 meeting.

Why it matters: HB 43 packages several access-oriented reforms (curing, postage-paid envelopes, extended early voting and expanded late registration) that supporters say will reduce ballot rejections and increase participation, particularly in rural communities. Division officials and some testifiers warned these changes would require operational changes, additional staffing and improved tracking to preserve verification and integrity.

What remains open: How the committee will balance access and verification, the final fiscal cost, whether early-vote expansion will include absentee in‑person stations, and any amendments the committee will consider in future hearings.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House STATE AFFAIRS 02/14/2025","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 43 would permit registration within 30 days or on election day, extend early voting, eliminate the witness signature on absentee envelopes, require postage-paid return envelopes and create a ballot-curing process; the committee heard both support and operational concerns on Feb. 13.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Alaska, Alaska","taxId",78559,"location","Alaska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6328666,"House committee hears broad support for adding faculty regent to University of Alaska Board",661,354000,1015000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2318482-957a3ec4a6a2c98aa2bae5c50161e721&start=354&end=1015","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2318482-957a3ec4a6a2c98aa2bae5c50161e721/thumbnail_354000.jpg","/articles/6328666/Alaska/House-committee-hears-broad-support-for-adding-faculty-regent-to-University-of-Alaska-Board","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6328666-3fab47b8838eb35a3a1a3757a24b586d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770976537&Signature=hkhzFRfAyHIP5FeMLTdqJwdR1xwNDCon~kj6yRvayvvQEcAjNmOs~mFAlu8y2FBz751usoSq6YfRs0PSfY1JCDbyjbLFOWhKVMiqYESuWY8-9cfKAyc7BYgnZLtjY63~AFvChPDki3RKmAk9b7eQz3v9nAFsS4PEkp4Y9JLbOFT2alpGJEpqAUX-8T2RkFiFGz~TijptJOw7Dq5O0szhl5vOZD6iMkn8kuRz9NkQT9JbfId9YkTEVNlxVCGK4LQbFDyv7uTQUS-SzYl3MOqfbI19w2G~PpannEkuB~ZOUguRnZkG7S-kWqWRQ22EZwtdbQyOeiGC4Qx~F6NJePgF2g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House State Affairs Committee opened public testimony on House Bill 10 on Feb. 13, 2025, a proposal to add a tenured faculty member as a regent on the University of Alaska Board of Regents.

Supporters said a faculty regent would bring classroom-level perspective on teaching and research to the board’s decisions. \"Adding a faculty regent would complement the existing student regent and ensure that faculty perspectives and professional expertise delivering the educational mission of the university are utilized when governance decisions are made,\" said Jill Dumasnil, professor of mathematics at University of Alaska Southeast and president of United Academics, the statewide union representing full-time faculty.

Graduate student testimony emphasized the value of current research and teaching experience on the board. Abigail Schiffmiller, a Ph.D. student in biology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, said she supports the bill because a faculty regent would hold \"current and ongoing expertise\" in the university’s core missions of teaching and research.

University governance leaders also testified. \"This addition, selected through a thoughtful and deliberate process, will empower the Board of Regents to more fully represent the voices of faculty,\" said Matthew Sweller, an associate professor at University of Alaska Anchorage and president-elect of the UAA Faculty Senate. Jacqueline Kason, speaking as the UAA Faculty Senate president and incoming Faculty Alliance chair, urged that faculty perspectives \"humanize the data\" used in recruitment, advising and academic policy.

Committee members asked clarifying questions but did not take questions during initial public testimony. Representative Holland said she had previously raised questions about a 10-year faculty qualification in the bill but said she supports the measure as drafted after outreach to faculty. Chair Representative Kerrick set an amendment deadline of Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025, at 5 p.m. and set the bill aside for a future hearing.

No formal votes on HB 10 were recorded during the Feb. 13 hearing.

Why it matters: Supporters told the committee that a faculty regent would provide governance-level access to faculty knowledge about instruction and research — areas they said do not always function like a business and can be overlooked by board members with nonacademic backgrounds. Proponents argued the change could improve collaboration between faculty and administration on policy that affects teaching, research and student success.

What remains open: The committee sets an amendment deadline and will hold further hearings; the bill’s final text and any amendments had not been adopted on Feb. 13.","The House State Affairs Committee heard public testimony Feb. 13 supporting House Bill 10, which would add a tenured faculty member as a regent on the University of Alaska Board of Regents.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6328661,"Committee adopts substitute to allow voter preregistration at 16 with address-confirmation steps",513,1017000,1530000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2318482-957a3ec4a6a2c98aa2bae5c50161e721&start=1017&end=1530","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2318482-957a3ec4a6a2c98aa2bae5c50161e721/thumbnail_1017000.jpg","/articles/6328661/Alaska/Committee-adopts-substitute-to-allow-voter-preregistration-at-16-with-address-confirmation-steps","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6328661-930abf28b22ddfedc87f1f2afa59cbe9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770976537&Signature=STFbfcK1fe2PexBWioa1Gi-1SBsTRdhRcIHOt4oAfemHcCwhaxUf2T2YwvmWsDVoB9PqGfvvonRBXZggqYvbU3VkTU7A5d6IiCI0ZNRCcrXh-FS0AuVMDirqUPmreUPrsAvZr5TcezSaVP4jU6zOd7m7bKFkA9tUpY-~63hXdCIEBRXwnpZEvqoc0fJFVafq5resg-07DxOxSDxBqDM-vxk1NW~D2CEVP80~BkrXu-i-GngWhTCqn2ibzJsjyUVw18yAD4b9Y-wI~qiqJQNJ-7GJnIGOKPu35ZZp7wGn3Big1FXksD9QfpDbsSc6eh2lCmv4~5DQcAuDlQjoWHDtRA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House State Affairs Committee on Feb. 13, 2025 adopted a committee substitute to House Bill 21 that would permit 16-year-olds to preregister to vote and require the Division of Elections to confirm address information before completing registration at 18.

Under the committee substitute summary read into the record by committee staff, the Division of Elections would mail a notice to a preregistered voter 90 days before that person's 18th birthday requesting address confirmation. If the mailed card is returned indicating the address, the summary states, the Division would register that person to vote and send a voter registration card.

Director Carol Beecher of the Alaska Division of Elections told the committee that preregistration uses the voter-registration form and data supplied by the registrant; the information is maintained confidentially in the voter-registration system until the registrant becomes eligible at 18. \"When the individual preregisters, they use the voter registration form, which has the information designation on the voter registration system,\" Beecher said, and the division would mail the notice 90 days prior to the eighteenth birthday to confirm residency.

Committee members pressed for detail. Representative Vance asked at what point the division would confirm that a preregistered minor remains eligible prior to sending a voter card; Beecher said the division would confirm using the information supplied at preregistration and the 90-day mailed notice. Representative McCabe asked for counts of current 17-year-old preregistrants; Beecher said the number was not on hand but believed it was small and offered to provide numbers to the committee.

Public testimony included youth advocates and opponents. Ron Anderson, a high-school senior and member of Anchorage Youth Development, urged the committee to approve preregistration, citing lower turnout among 18-to-29-year-olds and research showing preregistration modestly increases youth turnout. Opponents, including Charlie Franz of Homer, said the change would add workload to the Division of Elections and risk complicating voter-roll maintenance.

Representative Himchute made the motion to adopt the committee substitute; after procedural discussion the committee adopted the substitute. Chair Kerrick set an amendment deadline of Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025 at 5 p.m., and the committee set the bill aside for a future hearing.

Why it matters: The substitute keeps preregistration nonbinding until a resident confirms address information shortly before turning 18, while proponents say it can encourage civic engagement among young people. Questions in the hearing focused on operational workload for the Division of Elections and how preregistration interacts with Alaska’s existing automatic-registration practices tied to the Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD).

What remains open: The Division of Elections will provide additional statistics on current preregistrants, and committee amendments were due Feb. 19. The proposed fiscal and operational impacts will be available after staff updates the fiscal note.","The House State Affairs Committee adopted a committee substitute for House Bill 21 to allow 16-year-olds to preregister to vote, with a requirement that the Division of Elections mail a notice 90 days before a registrant's 18th birthday to confirm residency. The committee adopted the substitute and set an amendment deadline; staff and Director of","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee hears broad testimony on HB 43 election changes; staff outlines sectional analysis, division flags operational challenges

House committee hears broad support for adding faculty regent to University of Alaska Board

Committee adopts substitute to allow voter preregistration at 16 with address-confirmation steps