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HB320 • 2026

VOTER REGISTRATION & PFD APP REGISTRATION

An Act relating to voter registration and application for a permanent fund dividend.

Elections
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
REPRESENTATIVE ELAM
Last action
2026-02-18
Official status
(H) STA
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about how the director of elections will notify applicants or what constitutes necessary information for registration.

Voter Registration and Permanent Fund Dividend Application

This act allows people in Alaska to register to vote when they apply for a permanent fund dividend.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows voters to request voter registration on their permanent fund dividend application form.
  • Requires the director of elections to verify voter information from state agency records or through other approved methods.
  • Ensures that people who request voter registration on their PFD application are treated as new or updated registered voters if they provide necessary information.
  • Establishes rules for notifying applicants about their voter registration status and providing them with a registration card.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People applying for the Permanent Fund Dividend in Alaska
  • Voters who want to register through alternative methods

Terms To Know

Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD)
An annual payment made by the state of Alaska from its Permanent Fund to eligible Alaskans.
Voter Registration
The process of signing up to vote in elections.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify an effective date for when these changes will take effect.
  • Only applies to permanent fund dividend applications filed on or after the act's effective date.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-18 1646

    (H) REFERRED TO STATE AFFAIRS

  2. 2026-02-18 1646

    (H) STA, JUD

  3. 2026-02-18 1646

    (H) READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS

Official Summary Text

VOTER REGISTRATION & PFD APP REGISTRATION
An Act relating to voter registration and application for a permanent fund dividend.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
HB0320a -1- HB 320
New Text Underlined [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED]

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HOUSE BILL NO. 320

IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA

THIRTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION

BY REPRESENTATIVE ELAM

Introduced: 2/18/26
Referred: State Affairs, Judiciary

A BILL

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED

"An Act relating to voter registration and application for a permanent fund dividend." 1
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 2
* Section 1. AS 15.07.050(a) is amended to read: 3
(a) Registration may be made 4
(1) in person before a registration official or through a voter 5
registration agency; 6
(2) by another individual on behalf of the voter if the voter has 7
executed a written general power of attorney or a written special power of attorney 8
authorizing that other individual to register the voter; 9
(3) by mail; 10
(4) by facsimile transmission, scanning, or another method of 11
electronic transmission that the director approves; or 12
(5) by requesting to be registered as a voter on [COMPLETING] a 13
permanent fund dividend application form under AS 43.23.015. 14
* Sec. 2. AS 15.07.060(e) is amended to read: 15
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(e) For an applicant requesting initial registration by mail, by facsimile or 1
other electronic transmission approved by the director under AS 15.07.050, or by 2
requesting registration on [COMPLETING] a permanent fund dividend application 3
form and including the information required under (a)(1) - (4) and (7) - (9) of this 4
section, the director shall verify the information provided in compliance with (a)(2) 5
and (3) of this section through state agency records described in AS 15.07.055(e). If 6
the applicant cannot comply with the requirement of (a)(2) of this section because the 7
applicant has not been issued any of the listed numbers, the applicant may instead 8
submit a copy of one of the following forms of identification: a driver's license, state 9
identification card, current and valid photo identification, birth certificate, passport, or 10
hunting or fishing license. 11
* Sec. 3. AS 15.07.070(i) is amended to read: 12
(i) The division shall register voters under (j) - (m) of this section who 13
request to be registered on a permanent fund dividend application form 14
submitted under AS 43.23.015 to the Department of Revenue. The director shall 15
treat an eligible permanent fund dividend applicant as a new or updated 16
registered voter, unless the permanent fund dividend applicant who requests to 17
be registered does not provide the information required under AS 15.07.060(a)(1) 18
- (4) and (7) - (9) [SUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO RECEIVE A PERMANENT 19
FUND DIVIDEND IN ACCORDANCE WITH (j) - (m) OF THIS SECTION]. 20
* Sec. 4. AS 15.07.070(k) is amended to read: 21
(k) Upon receipt of the registration information, the director shall, as soon as 22
practicable and in accordance with a schedule established by the director by rule, 23
process the registration information received and notify, by United States mail and 24
any other means authorized by the director, each applicant who requested 25
registration of the applicant's registration status [NOT ALREADY REGISTERED 26
TO VOTE] at the address provided in the applicant's application 27
[(1) OF THE PROCESSES TO 28
(A) DECLINE TO BE REGISTERED AS A VOTER; 29
(B) MAINTAIN AN EXISTING VOTER REGISTRATION 30
OR BE NEWLY REGISTERED AT A VALID PLACE OF RESIDENCE 31
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NOT PROVIDED IN THE APPLICANT'S APPLICATION; AND 1
(C) ADOPT A POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIATION; AND 2
(2) THAT FAILURE TO RESPOND TO THE NOTIFICATION 3
SHALL CONSTITUTE THE APPLICANT'S CONSENT TO CANCEL ANY 4
REGISTRATION TO VOTE IN ANOTHER JURISDICTION]. 5
* Sec. 5. AS 15.07.070(l) is amended to read: 6
(l) If an applicant requests [DOES NOT DECLINE] to be registered as a 7
voter, the [WITHIN 30 CALENDAR DAYS AFTER THE DIRECTOR ISSUES THE 8
NOTIFICATION, THE APPLICATION UNDER AS 43.23.015 WILL 9
CONSTITUTE A COMPLETED REGISTRATION FORM. THE] name of the 10
applicant shall be placed on the master register if the director determines that the 11
person is qualified to vote under AS 15.05.010, and the director shall forward to the 12
applicant a registration card. If registration is denied, the applicant shall immediately 13
be informed in writing that registration was denied and the reason for denial. 14
* Sec. 6. AS 43.23.015(b) is amended to read: 15
(b) The department shall prescribe and furnish an application form for 16
claiming a permanent fund dividend. The application must include 17
(1) notice of the penalties provided for under AS 43.23.270; 18
(2) a statement of eligibility and a certification of residency; 19
(3) the means for an applicant eligible to vote under AS 15.05, or a 20
person authorized to act on behalf of the applicant, to request that the applicant be 21
registered as a voter, to furnish information required by AS 15.07.060(a)(1) - (4) and 22
(7) - (9), and to attest [AN ATTESTATION] that the [SUCH] information is true. 23
* Sec. 7. AS 43.23.101 is amended to read: 24
Sec. 43.23.101. Voter registration. The commissioner shall establish by rule a 25
schedule by which the commissioner [WILL PROVIDE, AND] shall provide, as soon 26
as [IS] practicable, the director of elections with 27
(1) electronic records from the permanent fund dividend applications 28
with [OF] the information required under [BY] AS 15.07.060(a)(1) - (4) and (7) - (9) 29
[,] and the attestation that the [SUCH] information is true [,] for each permanent fund 30
dividend applicant who requested to be registered to vote and is 31
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(A) [IS] a citizen of the United States; and 1
(B) [IS] at least 18 years of age or will be within 90 days of the 2
date of the application; and 3
(2) the mailing addresses for all permanent fund dividend applicants. 4
* Sec. 8. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 5
read: 6
APPLICABILITY: PERMANENT FUND DIVIDEND APPLICATIONS. The 7
changes made by this Act apply to permanent fund dividend applications filed on or after the 8
effective date of this Act. 9