In a move that resonates with President Donald Trump’s emphasis on safeguarding American elections, a new Alaska ballot initiative seeks to explicitly bar non-citizens from voting in state and local races. The “Alaskans for Citizen Voting” (ACV) measure, sponsored by prominent former lawmakers, aims to amend state statutes to clarify that only U.S. citizens meeting age, residency, and registration requirements can cast ballots. This comes amid ongoing national debates over voter integrity, a hallmark of Trump’s tenure.
In 2025, Trump signed an executive order requiring documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration, part of a broader overhaul to enhance election security. This policy aligned with the Republican-backed SAVE Act, which mandates citizenship verification for federal elections and has been adopted in several states to curb perceived vulnerabilities. Critics, including the ACLU, challenged such actions as unconstitutional overreaches, leading to court rulings blocking elements like citizenship proof on federal forms.
Trust in elections is fragile across the country. In Alaska, there is already layered in complexity – ranked choice voting and open primaries – that many voters are still getting used to. Regardless of how Alaskans feel about those reforms, there should be absolute clarity about who is eligible to vote.
It is also a matter of respect for those who took the oath of citizenship. Naturalized citizens worked hard to become Americans, and their voice at the ballot box should never be diluted by policy experiments that separate voting from citizenship.
Former Rep. Mike Chenault, an ACV sponsor, emphasized the shared values: “This is common sense, consistent with what Alaskans have long assumed the law already says.”
The application for the initiative has been approved by the Lieutenant Governor. ACV will begin gathering tens of thousands of signatures statewide to qualify for the 2026 general election ballot. Expect to see petition circulators – who themselves must be U.S. citizens under Alaska law – at community events, outside post offices, and at local gathering spots. If passed in 2026, Alaska would join states reinforcing citizen-only standards, reflecting enduring Trump-era priorities on immigration and voting amid polarized national discourse.
More information can be found on the press release:
It amazes me that something like this is not already in the books.
Where can this petition be signed in Kenai?
A solution looking for a problem
Frank, if illegal immigrants can legally vote, why can’t ballots be shipped to locations around the world for foreign nationals to weigh in?
Frank. A good mechanic will tell you that proper preventative maintenance will save you money and hardship in the long run. A bad mechanic will have you ignore the problem in hopes that a failure will bring in more labor time to charge you.
Same applies to society. An ounce in prevention is worth a pound in cure.
But we all know what kind of customer you are Frank. You are the one who the mechanic will profit from regardless.
Pull your head out Frankie. People like you are the reason this is needed.
So this law makes it illegal to do something that’s…already illegal? The Alaska Division of Elections seems pretty clear on who can and who cannot vote: https://www.elections.alaska.gov/Core/whocanregisterandwhocanvote.php
Maybe we should make a more concise law against murder while we’re at it.
This is a dumb piece of legislation.
The fourth paragraph says it all. I’ll sign that petition!
Non- citizens will not be able to legally vote AND THIS TIME WE REALLY REALLY, MEAN IT!!!
Why has MRAK not had a story about voting by internet in Anchorage?
Anchorage liberals want a permanent stranglehold on Anchorage elections. And they’re just going to get away with it because nobody is talking about it.
Wow! If we only we had a rule that said you had to show proof or ID in order to vote, that would be great.
Nah- Lets be like NY, CA and Washington.
Now if only we could get election DAY , paper ballots, hand counts within the district cast, and absentee for only the infirm, military and those people who are TEMPORARILY outside the U.S.
So, does the registrar prescreen voter reg applications before adding the applicant to the rolls? I doubt it.