Alaska has mailed 3,048 letters to voters requesting that they confirm their citizenship status ahead of the August 18 primary election. Voters who do not respond are placed on an inactive list, but they retain the option to cast provisional ballots if they choose to vote on election day.
The volume of letters sent is markedly higher than usual, prompting concern among state lawmakers that some recipients may already be U.S. citizens. Officials explained that the increase stemmed from old data being flagged during a voter roll maintenance process that cross‑checked registration lists with motor vehicle records.
During a recent hearing, the division director estimated that roughly 3,500 letters were dispatched, while a spokesperson later confirmed the number was 3,048. This action follows a similar incident in another state where a software error led to thousands of noncitizens being added to voter rolls.
In that case, the governor attributed the problem to a contractor, but the contractor clarified that the state’s elections division ultimately reviews and validates voter eligibility. An investigation has been launched to examine the addition of noncitizens to the registration database.
The developments underscore the ongoing challenges of maintaining accurate voter registries and the need for rigorous verification procedures before elections.
