Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

State of Alaska
                                                            Fiscal Note
                                                                                             Bill Version:                    CSSB 138(FIN)
 2023 Legislative Session
                                                                                             Fiscal Note Number:              2
                                                                                             (S) Publish Date:                5/13/2023
 Identifier:        SB138CS(FIN)-OOG-DOE-5-12-23                               Department:       Office of the Governor
 Title:             ELECTIONS; VOTER REG.; CAMPAIGNS                           Appropriation: Elections
 Sponsor:           STATE AFFAIRS                                              Allocation:       Elections
 Requester: (S) Finance                                                        OMB Component Number:              21
 Expenditures/Revenues
 Note: Amounts do not include inflation unless otherwise noted below.                                                               (Thousands of Dollars)
                                                 Included in
                                    FY2024       Governor's
                                Appropriation      FY2024                                           Out-Year Cost Estimates
                                  Requested       Request
 OPERATING EXPENDITURES               FY 2024        FY 2024       FY 2025                     FY 2026           FY 2027            FY 2028        FY 2029
 Personal Services                        40.3                         40.3                        40.3              40.3               40.3          40.3
 Travel
 Services                                302.0                        222.0                       222.0             222.0             222.0             222.0
 Commodities
 Capital Outlay
 Grants & Benefits
 Miscellaneous
 Total Operating                         342.3            0.0         262.3                       262.3             262.3             262.3             262.3
 Fund Source (Operating Only)
 1004 Gen Fund (UGF)                           342.3                           262.3              262.3             262.3             262.3             262.3
 Total                                         342.3              0.0          262.3              262.3             262.3             262.3             262.3
 Positions
 Full-time
 Part-time
 Temporary
 Change in Revenues
 None
 Total                                            0.0             0.0              0.0               0.0                0.0              0.0              0.0
 Estimated SUPPLEMENTAL (FY2023) cost:                                   0.0             (separate supplemental appropriation required)
 Estimated CAPITAL (FY2024) cost:                                        5,625.0         (separate capital appropriation required)
 Does the bill create or modify a new fund or account?       No
 (Supplemental/Capital/New Fund - discuss reasons and fund source(s) in analysis section)
 ASSOCIATED REGULATIONS
 Does the bill direct, or will the bill result in, regulation changes adopted by your agency?                Yes
 If yes, by what date are the regulations to be adopted, amended or repealed?                                07/01/24
 Why this fiscal note differs from previous version/comments:
 The current CS version removed the section requiring the purchase of drop boxes.
 Prepared By:             Carol Beecher, Director                                                                  Phone:         (907)465-4611
 Division:                Division of Elections
                                                                      REPORT                                       Date:          05/12/2023 02:00 PM
                                                                                    ED
                                                                       SFC 05/1 OUT OF
 Approved By:             Cheri Lowenstein, Administrative Director                                                Date:          05/12/23
 Agency:                  Office of the Governor
                                                                                     2/2023
Printed 5/12/2023                                                       Page 1 of 2                                                        Control Code: uVmAk
                                                                                                             CSSB 138(FIN) - Fiscal Note 2
                                                  FISCAL NOTE ANALYSIS
STATE OF ALASKA                                                                     BILL NO. CSSB138
2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Analysis
   This legislation proposes numerous revisions to Alaska’s election laws impacting the Division of Elections’ services and
   procedures for all state‐administered elections beginning with the 2024 primary and general elections.
   Significant changes include changes to rules for determining residence of voters, ability to challenge residence, designing
   and implementing risk limiting audits, counting absentee ballots before election day, implementing an online ballot
   tracking system, establishing procedures for curing uncounted ballots, providing postage‐paid return envelopes,
   modifying the voter registration system for language preference, and implementing a signature verification system.
   Timing Note: It may not be feasible to implement a signature verification system in time for the 2024 primary and
   general elections. A system would have to be procured, purchased, and deployed within a very short timeframe. Training
   would also have to be conducted for staff in each region.
   The division estimates that these changes will require the following unrestricted general fund (UGF) expenses:
   Primary and General Election Cycle Operating Expenses Beginning in FY24:
       Personal Services:
                   $80.5 (Seven non‐permanent Election Clerks, range 12, to address ballot curing processes)
       Services:
                   $140.0 Postage for prepaid envelopes
                   $110.0 First year for envelopes printed to meet signature and barcode requirements. Approximately
                                   $60.0 after year one.
                   $ 6.0 Annual software maintenance and licensing
                   $ 8.0 Election Board Services
                   $ 40.0 BallotTrax or similar ballot tracking subscription
                   $150.0 Signature Verification system ‐ ongoing support
                   $ 40.0 Training for signature validation process
   FY24 Capital Costs for new systems and items required by this legislation:
                   $5,125.0 Signature Verification system implementation in each region.
                   $ 500.0 Voter registration system modifications for language preference.
   Funding note: Beginning in FY17, the operating cost of holding primary and general elections every two years was divided
   in half to reduce volatility in the final authorized budget of the Division of Elections while allowing for sufficient funding to
   conduct elections. In keeping with that practice, the above listed costs would be split in half each fiscal year to smooth
   the funding requirement of this legislation, and included as two‐year language items in an operating budget
   appropriations bill.
   Passage of this legislation would require the following regulation changes:
   6 AAC 25.650. Permanent absentee voter regulations to include the option for permanent absentee ballot packages.
   New regulations for postage‐paid return envelopes for absentee ballots
   New regulations for ballot curing process.
   New regulations would be needed to define a process for submitting an electronic image of an applicant’s signature
   New regulations for same day registration
(Revised 08/26/2022 OMB/LFD)                                                                                           Page 2 of 2
SB138CS(FIN)-OOG-DOE-5-12-23                                     Page 2 of 2                                                Control Code: uVmAk
Statutes affected: 
SB0138A, AM SB 138, introduced 04/25/2023: 15.05.010, 15.05.020, 15.07.060, 15.07.070, 15.07.050, 15.07.090, 15.07.130, 15.10.170, 15.15.210, 15.20.203, 15.20.207, 15.15.060, 15.15.170, 15.15.280, 15.15.240, 15.15.410, 15.15.420, 15.15.440, 15.15.450, 15.20.030, 15.20.072, 15.20.081, 09.63.020, 15.20.480, U.S.C, 15.20.201, 15.20.061, 15.15.225, 15.07.055, 15.20.220, 15.20.222, 15.56.030, 15.80.010, 19.25.105, 24.45.091, 15.13.020, 24.45.111, 29.26.050, 39.50.020, 15.25.030, 39.50.200, 44.62.310
SB0138B, AM CSSB 138(STA), introduced 05/03/2023: 15.05.010, 15.05.020, 15.15.210, 15.20.215, 15.07.060, 15.07.070, 15.07.050, 15.07.090, 15.07.130, 15.07.120, U.S.C, 15.10.170, 15.20.203, 15.20.207, 15.13.020, 15.15.060, 15.15.170, 15.15.280, 15.15.240, 15.15.370, 15.15.350, 15.15.410, 15.15.420, 15.15.440, 15.15.450, 15.20.030, 15.20.072, 15.20.081, 09.63.020, 15.20.480, 15.20.201, 15.20.061, 15.15.225, 15.07.055, 15.20.220, 15.20.222, 15.56.030, 15.80.010, 19.25.105, 24.45.091, 24.45.111, 29.26.050, 39.50.020, 15.25.030, 39.50.200, 44.62.310
SB0138C, AM CSSB 138(FIN), introduced 05/13/2023: 15.05.010, 15.05.020, 15.15.210, 15.20.215, 15.07.060, 15.07.070, 15.07.050, 15.07.090, 15.07.130, 15.07.120, U.S.C, 15.10.170, 15.13.020, 15.15.060, 15.15.370, 15.15.350, 15.15.420, 15.15.440, 15.15.450, 15.20.030, 15.20.072, 15.20.081, 09.63.020, 15.20.480, 15.20.201, 15.20.203, 15.20.061, 15.15.225, 15.07.055, 15.20.220, 15.20.222, 15.56.030, 15.80.010, 19.25.105, 24.45.091, 24.45.111, 29.26.050, 39.50.020, 15.25.030, 39.50.200, 44.62.310