Alaska will not verify voter signatures in first-ever statewide mail-in election

Alaska's Division of Elections will not verify the authenticity of voter signatures on the ballots cast in the upcoming June 11 special statewide primary to replace Rep. Don Young.

Since this will be the first time Alaska has ever conducted a statewide mail-in election, concerns have been raised about how the state will ensure that voters are who they claim to be.

Since Alaska has one of the most bloated voter registration rolls in the nation, it is a certainty that thousands of mail-in ballots will be sent to outdated addresses where the voter on file no longer resides.

Since Alaska law does not specifically authorize this, there will be no voter signature verification.

Multiple bills have been introduced in the current legislative session to address voter integrity issues, including voter signature verification, but they have languished in various House and Senate committee assignments.

In 2020 Alaska's voter registration skyrocketed to 118%. This mounting problem coincides with a 2016 law which allowed the state to automatically register Alaskans when they apply for a PFD. This past October two national election experts, Hans A. von Spakovsky and J. Christian Adams, traveled to Alaska to warn Gov. Dunleavy and Division of Election staff about the potential risks in Alaska's election system.

The top four vote getters will then move on to a statewide special general election in which voters will rank the candidates from first to fourth.

https://alaskawatchman.com/2022/03/26/alaska-will-not-verify-voter-signatures-in-first-ever-statewide-mail-in-election/