More than 3,000 Alaska voters have been asked to verify their U.S. citizenship ahead of next month’s primary election, an unusually large number that has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers amid a broader push by the Trump administration for states to strengthen citizenship checks before the 2026 midterm elections.
The Alaska Division of Elections said it mailed about 3,048 letters to registered voters asking them to confirm their U.S. citizenship before the Aug. 18 primaries. Election officials said the number is significantly higher than the roughly 200 voters typically flagged during routine voter roll maintenance and may be the result of outdated information in the state Division of Motor Vehicles records.
Under the process, voters who receive the letters are moved to inactive status but are not removed from voter rolls. Those who do not respond may cast a provisional ballot by affirming under oath that they meet the qualifications to vote. Election officials said no supporting documentation is required to verify citizenship, and voters who respond are restored to active status.
Some Democratic lawmakers said constituents who are U.S. citizens have contacted them after receiving the letters, raising concerns that naturalized citizens or others could be incorrectly flagged because state agencies maintain different records that are not always updated simultaneously. Alaska election officials said they are still trying to determine why so many voters were identified this year.
The review comes as election security and noncitizen voting have become major issues ahead of the midterm elections.
Earlier this week, New Jersey disclosed that about 6,600 noncitizens were mistakenly registered to vote because of a software error in the state’s motor vehicle system. Fewer than 400 of those individuals cast ballots, according to state officials, who said there is no evidence of the error affecting election outcomes. The state has begun removing the erroneous registrations and investigating the issue.
The Trump administration has cited the circumstances in New Jersey as it presses states to verify voter citizenship more aggressively.
SHERRILL TO REMOVE 6,000 NONCITIZENS FROM VOTER ROLLS AFTER DMV ERROR
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin recently urged states to compare voter rolls with federal immigration records and warned jurisdictions failing to adopt federal election security measures could face penalties. Several states have challenged the administration’s claims about the number of noncitizens on voter rolls, saying federal officials have not provided sufficient evidence.
Alaska is among the states that have agreed to share voter information with the federal government as part of broader election security efforts, though state election officials said the latest citizenship review was based on DMV data and was not prompted by the Department of Justice or the Department of Homeland Security.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
