Sen. Mike Shower has unveiled a new version of Senate Bill 39 – proposed legislation to make Alaska’s election system more secure, protect voter data, and increase voter confidence in results.
“A troubling trend has emerged where entire segments of our nation are not only disappointed by election results, but refuse to acknowledge them as legitimate,” said Sen. Shower. “It happened in 2016 and again in 2020. Senate Bill 39 is a proposal I’ve been working on since 2018 to help restore Alaskans’ confidence in our election system – the very cornerstone of our constitutional republic – by utilizing the latest in election security technology to authenticate voter identification and protect sensitive voter information from hackers.”
The new version of SB 39:
- Introduces Multi-Factor Authentication security for all registered voters, exempting those unable to use the technology. MFA is an electronic method of verifying a user’s identity using two or more pieces of evidence most commonly used to protect users from unauthorized access to their personal information, financial assets, and more.
- Requires the Division of Elections to use a highly secure digital ledger known as blockchain technology to protect election data and ensure something like the October 2020 data breach of over 113,000 Alaskans’ personal information never happens again.
- Requires the Division of Elections to clean the voter rolls more frequently and cross reference them with other more recent and accurate databases.
- Adds tribal identification cards to the list of acceptable forms of identification when registering to vote.
- Requires the Division of Elections to notify each absentee voter whose ballot has been rejected and provide an opportunity for the voter to fix any issues. This is known as “ballot curing.”
- Directs the Division of Elections to adhere to the U.S. Postal Service’s existing ballot envelope barcode procedure, enabling voters to track their mail-in ballots.
Blockchain has not been used in elections so far in America, Shower said, but the technology protects investments in the bitcoin industry. Blockchain is hard to hack since the data is stored in numerous places. Many institutions, including the military and banking institutions are already using the technology because of protections it provides.
“There are individual bits and pieces throughout the country that are being used in elections, but I don’t think we have any one state that has adopted that has the whole package of multi-factor authentication with blockchain technology to secure their election system,” he said.
Thank you Senator Shower. Now, I understand how Alaskans voted in “ ranked voting”, and that system is a sham. Alaskans do not want ranked voting.
The Democrat Controlled House will block this bill. “Dominion Bryce” Edgmon is the rules chair
Anchorage needs to get rid of ranked choice voting and no mail in voting either.
Get off your lazy A, get off the couch and go vote like most people.
Don’t forget your ID, identification of who you say you are, and are you a legal voter.
Thank you Mr Shower for all your hard work, on this voting stuff. Stand your ground; be strong. We’re behind you on these changes.
Ah yes, Bryce Edgmon. I had almost forgotten about him since we left up there almost a year ago.
I suspect that while seated next to my former superintendent, there was a discussion about how Bryce didn’t like my comments about keeping a full PFD away from the people, and me trying to convince him that needy people needed a full PFD.
Magically, both my wife and myself got phone calls from this former boss, asking me to stop writing about Bryce, and later on I got a call myself telling me that if I didn’t stop that it could be bad for my wife.
I wouldn’t go as far as saying that Bryce asked this person to blackmail me and my wife. I’ll let you decide that. Dillingham and the state of Alaska could do themselves proud by voting Bryce Edgemon out of office ASAP. He has his own agenda that he follows.
Senator Showers, After watching the disturbing anomaliesin 2020 election concerning prop 2,I’m relieved and fully support your efforts at election reform.Count on me and I know many others to help whatever way I can to support you in this effort.
You are definitely a man of integrity and not looking to some special interest to benefit from.
You left a lucrative career to take on the many problems in our state that have been created by both the Left and Rino Right.
Probably the most important & fundamental piece of legislation that this legislature will have to take up this year. Everything, from the budget to public safety, hinges on fair elections. It will be very interesting to see who stonewalls SB39.
Senator Shower, thank you so very much for your common sense bill. I truly hope others have enough common sense to put this through.
I’ve been told that you can get around this “ranked Voting Joke” by only listing the one name that you wish to vote for. You do not have to fill out all five lines. Can someone who is in the know verify this??
I do not think the ballot curing section should be allowed. If a voter is sloppy, lazy, or just hasty then it is their fault, for not voting correctly. Also does this allow the vote to be changed ?? How many times can this be revised ? The burden to make sure the ballot is correctly voted is on the voter , not the State.
But the Dominion vote tabulation equipment is allowed to remain?
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If so, Shower’s bill seems like an exercise in futility.
“Exempting those unable to use the technology.” More useless legislation with no end to the BS in sight.
ART WETTANEN, this is why voting in person is mandatory.
Greg R???????
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