Alaska Republican opposition kills bill intended to fix absentee voting problems | Jamesx Brooks/Alaska Beacon
A major elections reform bill, a priority of House and Senate leaders, is dead in the Alaska Legislature. Among the changes in the bill: Speedier ballot counting, better tracking of absentee ballots, ballot dropboxes across the state, free return postage for absentee ballots, a liaison to help fix voting issues in rural Alaska, permanent absentee ballot registration, a method to fix paperwork problems after an absentee ballot is cast, the elimination of the requirement that a “witness” sign a voter’s absentee ballot, and additional security audits. Many of the House’s Republicans objected to the bill, saying that they believe it did not do enough to address their concerns about election security. Read Article