Division of Elections presents governor's bill proposing residency change, end of PFD automatic registration and mailbox timing overhaul

Senate State Affairs Committee members heard Senate Bill 70 on Jan. 30 in Juneau, presented by Carol Beecher, director of the Alaska Division of Elections, with support staff from the lieutenant governor’s office and the Department of Law. The administration's bill would revise statutory residency language, end the Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) automatic voter‑registration program, tighten late‑ballot receipt rules, and propose several administrative efficiencies including postage‑paid absentee returns and changes to early‑voting and REAA (regional education attendance area) schedules.

The bill is presented as an operations‑focused package: the division said its intent is to make administration clearer, reduce delays in result reporting, and improve list maintenance so that ballots are issued and counted in a timely way.

Carol Beecher told the committee the division’s mission is “to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by administering voter registration and elections with the highest level of professional standards, integrity, security, accuracy, and fairness.” She said the bill would “eliminate nebulous language from residency requirements,” remove the PFD automatic registration program created in 2016, and reduce…