By AlaskaWatchman.com

Alaska Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom confirmed that the State of Alaska has provided the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) with a complete list of eligible registered voters in response to the DOJ’s request. The list was securely transmitted on Dec. 23.

“Alaska is committed to the integrity of our elections and to complying with applicable law,” Dahlstrom stated. “Upon receiving the DOJ’s request, the Division of Elections, in consultation with the Department of Law, provided the voter registration list in accordance with federal requirements and state authority, while ensuring appropriate safeguards for sensitive information.”

The DOJ requested an electronic copy of Alaska’s complete voter registration list to assess the state’s compliance with the list maintenance requirements of the National Voter Registration Act and other federal laws. The data provided included voters’ full names, dates of birth, residential addresses, and driver’s license numbers or the last four digits of their social security numbers. The transmittal occurred under a DOJ–Alaska Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that governs access to, use of, and protection of the data.

Alaska’s voter rolls have been notoriously over inflated with hundreds of voters still on the books despite moving out of state or passing away.

According to federal law, the National Voter Registration Act establishes the DOJ’s enforcement authority related to list maintenance.

In Alaska, the lieutenant governor oversees the Alaska Division of Elections and is authorized under state statute to provide confidential voter information to a federal agency, if that agency only uses it for government purposes authorized by law.

State and federal laws provide explicit limits on use and further disclosure of the voter list in order to safeguarding personally identifiable information while meeting federal obligations.

“Our role is to uphold the law, protect Alaskans’ data, and promote transparency in election administration,” Dahlstrom explained. “This action aligns with those responsibilities.”

The Trump administration has requested electronic copies of statewide voter rolls from dozens of states in order to enforce federal election laws and ensure accurate voter rolls.

The National Voter Registration Act requires states to maintain voter lists by removing ineligible voters who have died, moved or are noncitizens.

DOJ officials, including Attorney General Pamela Bondi and Assistant AG Harmeet Dhillon, have described the effort as necessary for “clean voter rolls” to prevent fraud, ensure only eligible citizens vote, and restore public confidence in elections.

Alaska’s voter rolls, however, have been notoriously over inflated with hundreds of voters still on the books despite moving out of state or passing away.

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Alaska sends voter rolls to U.S. Justice Dept. in effort to ensure accuracy

Joel Davidson
Joel is Editor-in-Chief of the Alaska Watchman. Joel is an award winning journalist and has been reporting for over 24 years, He is a proud father of 8 children, and lives in Palmer, Alaska.


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