HB 129 is a piece of necessary voting legislation with potential detriments for rural Alaskans and Alaskans with limited English proficiency.
Alaska already has a framework for list maintenance, in which voters receive notices of inactivation only after the division’s request for address confirmation has been returned and when voters have not interacted with the elections system in the last four years. HB 129 combines these two steps – and shortens the timeline for triggering these notices to two years. For infrequent voters or voters with limited English proficiency, the notice would give the impression that they are ineligible to vote, especially given that notices will explain that voters could be removed from official registration lists if they don't return the card to the division.
Additionally, the 45-day timeline may disproportionately impact rural Alaskan voters, for whom mail and internet service is less reliable than communities in urban areas. Voting is a civil and constitutional right, and the state should be cautious in taking steps that may force eligible voters to take unnecessary additional steps to exercise that right.
