2020 Alaska Statutes
Title 15. Elections
Chapter 20. Special Procedures for Elections
Article 1. Absentee Voting.
Sec. 15.20.203. Procedure for district absentee ballot counting review.

(a) The district absentee ballot counting board shall examine each absentee ballot envelope and shall determine whether the absentee voter is qualified to vote at the election and whether the absentee ballot has been properly cast.

(b) An absentee ballot may not be counted if

(1) the voter has failed to properly execute the certificate;

(2) an official or the witnesses authorized by law to attest the voter's certificate fail to execute the certificate, except that an absentee ballot cast in person and accepted by an absentee voting official or election supervisor may be counted despite failure of the absentee voting official or election supervisor to properly sign and date the voter's certificate as attesting official as required under AS 15.20.061(c);

(3) the ballot is not attested on or before the date of the election;

(4) the ballot, if postmarked, is not postmarked on or before the date of the election;

(5) after the day of election, the ballot was delivered by a means other than mail; or

(6) the voter voted

(A) in person and is a

(i) first-time voter who initially registered by mail or by facsimile or other electronic transmission approved by the director under AS 15.07.050, has not provided the identification required by AS 15.15.225(a), was not eligible for waiver of the identification requirement under AS 15.15.225(b), and has not provided the identifiers required in AS 15.07.060(a)(2) and (3) that can be verified through state agency records described in AS 15.07.055(e); or

(ii) voter other than one described in (i) of this subparagraph, did not provide identification described in AS 15.15.225(a), was not personally known by the election official, and has not provided the identifiers required in AS 15.07.060(a)(2) and (3); or

(B) by mail or electronic transmission, is a first-time voter who initially registered by mail or by facsimile or other electronic transmission approved by the director under AS 15.07.050 to vote, has not met the identification requirements set out in AS 15.07.060, and does not submit with the ballot a copy of a

(i) driver's license, state identification card, current and valid photo identification, birth certificate, passport, or hunting or fishing license; or

(ii) current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or other government document; an item described in this sub-subparagraph must show the name and current address of the voter.

(c) Any person present at the district absentee ballot counting review may challenge the name of an absentee voter when read from the voter's certificate on the envelope if the person has good reason to suspect that the challenged voter is not qualified to vote, is disqualified, or has voted at the same election. The person making the challenge shall specify the basis of the challenge in writing. The district absentee ballot counting board by majority vote may refuse to accept and count the absentee ballot of a person properly challenged on grounds listed in (b) of this section.

(d) The election supervisor shall place all rejected absentee ballots in a separate envelope with the statements of challenge. The envelope shall be labeled “rejected absentee ballots” and shall be forwarded to the director with the election certificates and other returns.

(e) If an absentee ballot is not rejected, the envelope shall be opened and the secrecy sleeve containing the absentee ballot shall be placed in a container and mixed with other secrecy sleeves.

(f) The secrecy sleeves shall be drawn from the container, the absentee ballots shall be removed from the secrecy sleeves, and the absentee ballots counted at the times specified in AS 15.20.201 and according to the rules for determining properly marked ballots in AS 15.15.360.

(g) Upon completion of the absentee ballot review, the election supervisor shall prepare an election certificate for execution by the district absentee ballot counting board and shall forward the original certificate and other returns to the director no later than the 16th day following the election.

(h) The director shall prepare and mail to each absentee voter whose absentee ballot was rejected under this section a summary of the reason that the challenge to the absentee ballot was upheld and the absentee ballot was rejected.

(i) The director shall mail the materials described in (h) of this section to the voter not later than

(1) 10 days after completion of the review of ballots by the state review board for a primary election or a special primary election under AS 15.40.140;

(2) 60 days after certification of the results of a general election or special election other than a special primary election described in (1) of this subsection.

(j) The director shall make available through a free access system to each absentee voter a system to check to see whether the voter's ballot was counted and, if not counted, the reason why the ballot was not counted. The director shall make this information available through the free access system not less than

(1) 10 days after certification of the results of a primary election or a special primary election under AS 15.40.140; and

(2) 30 days after certification of the results of a general or special election, other than a special primary election described in (1) of this subsection.