Key facts
- Alaska's Division of Elections sent 3,048 letters to voters asking them to verify their citizenship.
- This number is significantly higher than the typical 200 voters flagged for review.
- The letters are a result of voter roll maintenance comparing state lists with Division of Motor Vehicles data.
- Officials believe outdated data in DMV files, where an individual's status might not reflect recent naturalization, is the cause.
- Recipients are asked to affirm citizenship via letter, phone, or email, without requiring documentation.
- Voters who do not respond or are not verified are moved to an 'inactive' voter list but can still vote with a special ballot.
Alaska has sent more than 3,000 letters to voters requesting they verify their citizenship ahead of the state's primary election on Aug. 18. This number is unusually high, with state officials attributing it to outdated data from the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) that was used in a voter roll maintenance process. Typically, this process flags around 200 names for further review.
Alaska Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher stated during a legislative hearing that the large number of letters, estimated at around 3,500 by Beecher and confirmed as 3,048 by spokesperson Steve Kirch, appears to be due to old data being 'picked up somehow.' The Division of Elections had made a 'non-routine request' to the DMV in March for citizenship information on approximately 15,200 license and ID applicants, and the DMV provided data excluding those already confirmed as citizens.
Recipients of the letters are asked to affirm their citizenship via letter, phone, or email, without needing to provide documentation. Those who respond affirmatively will be moved back to the active voter list. Individuals who do not respond or are not verified are moved to an 'inactive' voter list but can still cast a special ballot that requires them to attest to their qualifications. Beecher emphasized that this process is not intended to disenfranchise voters but to ensure only citizens vote.
The revelation comes at a time of heightened national sensitivity surrounding claims of non-citizen voting, a concern amplified by President Donald Trump and his allies. Alaska, like at least 16 other states, has shared detailed voter information with the Trump administration, a move that has drawn criticism and legal challenges from voting and civil rights groups concerned about potential flagging of eligible voters.
Officials remain unsure why the list of potential non-citizens was so large this time. One explanation offered is that individuals who became citizens after obtaining their driver's license might still have older data in their DMV files showing them as non-citizens. It is recommended that people update their information with the DMV to ensure accuracy in future checks.