Dunleavy vetoes sweeping elections bill, override vote planned next week as session nears end
- Mark Sabbatini
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Governor claims bill, which passed Legislature by a 39-20 vote after years of negotiations, ‘could jeopardize the election process’
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
This is a developing story.
An election reform bill that combined a range of Republican- and Democrat-sought provisions was vetoed Thursday by Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, with his office declaring it "contains legal and operational challenges and could jeopardize the election process."
Senate Bill 64 passed the House by a 23-16 vote in late March and a 16-4 vote in the Senate two days later. The absentee member in those votes is a House member who supports the bill, thus giving the Legislature the bare minimum of 40 votes to override a veto during a joint session if nobody alters their position.
A joint session for an override is planned next week, according to a statement issued Thursday afternoon by the bipartisan Senate majority.
"Governor Dunleavy has said, by his veto, that Alaska's elections are secure enough," Senate Rules Chair Senator Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, said in a prepared statement. "Unfortunately, they are not, and even his supporters confirm that. Our voter rolls stood at 114% of the voting-age population in 2022. Ballots are being rejected over technical errors. Tampering with a voting machine is not explicitly a crime under current law. This bill addressed every one of those concerns. The Governor had every reason to sign it."
Among the provisions of SB 64 highlighted by supporters are a ballot curing process allowing voters to correct minor errors that might otherwise result in their ballots being rejected (sought by many Democrats) and making it easier for the Alaska Division of Elections to remove inactive voters from the state’s rolls (sought by many Republicans).
The bill also requires the state to provide paid postage for all absentee mail-in ballots, expands address verification measures, requires absentee ballots to be received within 10 days of Election Day, allows tribal IDs to be used for voting purposes, establishes a rural community liaison position in the elections division, and makes various other administrative and security modifications.
Dunelavy, in a letter to the House Speaker and Senate President explaining his veto, states
"Taken as a whole, the bill would impose significant operational burdens on the administration of Alaska's elections during an election year in which several statewide contests will occur — including U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and Governor," Dunleavy wrote. "The Division of Elections warns such changes would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to implement securely and reliably in advance of the 2026 elections. Alaskans need an election process that is simple, understandable, secure, and implemented with sufficient time for the Division to make necessary changes."
A press release issued Thursday by the governor‘s office provides a quote indicating he is open to further negotiations before the session’s scheduled May 20 adjournment.
"While the Alaska gasline bill is the most important bill this session, I am open to a conversation with lawmakers on how we can address the legal and operational issues this session," Dunleavy said in the prepared statement.
A bill by Dunleavy to advance a proposed gasline on the North Slope has encountered resistance from leaders of the legislative majority who say it offers tax and other breaks to the developer that are far too generous, which come at the cost of revenue that otherwise would go to the state and municipalities with gasline infrastructure.
Wielechowski, in an interview, said he isn’t willing to consider a trade that would include concessions on the gasline bill in exchange for support on election legislation. He also said he believes the votes exist for a veto override.
"Anything can happen between now and next week," he said. "I think the votes are there. I think there might be more votes…because I think people are realizing that it's just a balanced bill. It doesn't favor one side or another. I've actually talked to people who feel like the bill's been unfairly maligned and it's become really a mudslinging event."
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
