A state ballot initiative to clarify voting eligibility was certified by Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom on Oct. 3. The measure seeks to make explicit that non-citizens cannot vote in Alaska elections, a restriction that already exists in state law.
Formally titled “An Act requiring that only United States citizens may be qualified to vote in Alaska elections,” the initiative proposes one key change to the verbiage of the law: the word “only.”
As it stands, the Alaska Statute 15.05.101 states that “A person may vote at any election who (1) is a citizen of the United States.” The proposed version would read, “Only a person who (1) is a citizen of the United States … may vote at any election.”
Three former Republican state legislators — John Coghill Jr., Charles Chenault, and Joshua Revak — sponsored the initiative.
To file a ballot initiative, sponsors must first gather signatures from 100 eligible voters before submitting it to the lieutenant governor, who then decides if the ballot meets the legal requirements to move forward.
“Our democratic process is strengthened when Alaskans engage directly in shaping the laws that govern our state,” Dahlstrom said in a press release. “By approving this application, we are ensuring that the people have the opportunity to consider this measure through the initiative process established in our constitution.”
Ballot initiatives are a constitutional right in Alaska, giving voters the power to directly propose and decide laws.
“It is up to the voters to determine the merits of the ballot initiative, and that’s the way it should be,” said Kelly Howell, the lieutenant governor’s chief of staff.
The initiative now moves to the signature-gathering stage. The sponsors must gather about 34 thousand signatures, 10% of votes cast in last year’s general election, to qualify for a future ballot.
