Voters in Alaska overwhelmingly approved Ballot Measure 3, which would add a new state law prohibiting noncitizens from voting in the state. With 399 of 400 precincts reporting results at 1:09 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, 69.6% of participating voters were in favor of the measure.
A different Alaska law already prohibits noncitizen voting, as does federal law. When enacted, Ballot Measure 3 will not change existing practice, according to an analysis by the Alaska Department of Law. The department said in October that “the bill proposed by (the ballot measure) would not change the qualifications to vote.”
Sponsors of the initiative, a trio of Republican former Alaska state legislators, thanked voters in a press release on Tuesday night after initial reporting from the Division of Elections showed strong support for the measure. Former House Speaker Mike Chenault of Nikiski and former state senators John Coghill of Fairbanks and Josh Revak of Anchorage sponsored the initiative as the group Alaskans for Citizen Voting. They say current state law is unclear and should be updated to clarify that only U.S. citizens may vote.
“Alaskans have spoken clearly,” said Coghill, the measure’s primary sponsor, in the statement. “The passage of Ballot Measure 3 affirms the importance of citizenship as a fundamental qualification for voting in our elections. We are grateful to the thousands of Alaskans who signed petitions, volunteered their time, and helped bring this important question before the voters.”
