Juneau—Due to fierce pushback from House Republicans and the public, Senate Bill 64, a senate democrat majority bill aimed at overhauling our election system, will not advance out of the House Finance Committee this year.
Throughout the rushed legislative process this week, SB 64 received wide-spread public scrutiny, the vast majority in opposition. Alaskans from all over the state voiced their concerns through public testimony, emails, and calls, expressing apprehension about provisions that could potentially compromise election security. Key issues highlighted include the elimination of witness signature requirements for absentee ballots, the introduction of permanent absentee voting for those who opt-in, the implementation of unlimited, non-secure ballot drop boxes and not including any safeguards on ballot harvesting.
House Republican Caucus members took these concerns seriously, engaging in thorough analysis and discussion to ensure that any election reform measures would enhance, rather than undermine, the integrity of Alaska’s electoral process. Their commitment to safeguarding our elections played a crucial role in halting the progression of HB 64 this session.
Voices from the public and House Republican Caucus members were heard loud and clear, demonstrating the power of civic engagement in shaping our state’s policies.
Representative DeLena Johnson (R-Palmer) stated, “Election Integrity is a very real issue. Judging from the number of Alaskans making their voices heard over the past several days, this issue needs much further assessment and better solutions than HB-64 can provide.”
“SB 64 attempts to fix problems that don’t even exist, such as that mythical idea that placing ballot boxes all over the state will somehow make elections more secure.” Said Representative Jamie Allard (R-Anchorage). “This bill greases the skids for all mail-in elections like Anchorage has. SB 64 is the biggest hoax that the Democrats have promulgated so far this year — and that is saying a lot since there are some other bills that are contenders. Alaskans should be appalled. Talk about a bill that will bring out more fraud! SB 64 is the Election Fraud bill!”
“Rushing a nonpartisan bill through at the last minute isn’t how the legislative process is meant to work. I’m glad we’ll have the chance to take a closer look at SB 64 next year.” Stated Representative Frank Tomaszewski (R-Fairbanks).
“SB 64 was a missed opportunity to deliver meaningful, bipartisan election reform” stated Representative Sarah Vance (R-Homer). Instead of focusing on commonsense improvements that both sides could support, Democrats insisted on packing the bill with their full wish list—including permanent vote-by-mail, unlimited ballot drop boxes, and the elimination of witness signatures. In the end, the bill failed not because Republicans opposed reform, but because they prioritized partisan expansion over election integrity. Alaskans deserve better than one-sided legislation disguised as compromise.”
The House Republican Caucus remains dedicated to collaborating with all stakeholders to develop election policies that uphold the principles of fairness, security, and public trust.