When Alaskans voted in 2016 to automatically register voters who register to receive a dividend from the Alaska Permanent Fund, little did they know that they were opening a huge loophole in the law that noncitizens can use to vote.
To apply for a dividend from the Permanent Fund, one does not necessarily have to have the dividend approved, but can receive a voter ID card as a fringe benefit. The Permanent Fund Division may reject an application for a number of reasons, most commonly due to residency requirements. In the meantime, however, anyone who simply applies will be mailed a voter ID card, unless they are already registered to vote.
To vote in Alaska, you must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of Alaska, 18 years old on Election Day, not registered in another state, and not convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude (unless your right to vote has been restored). You must also register by various deadlines in each election.
Since the Permanent Fund dividend deadline is March 31, this ensures that all applicants will receive their ID in time for the primary election deadline.
The Election Commission has not closed this loophole since it came into force in 2018. For six years, anyone who receives a PFD and voter registration card must voluntarily surrender them if they are not eligible to vote.
“Why did I receive a voter registration card if I am not a U.S. citizen?” asks the election authority on its website. The answers it gives are:
“When you complete your PFD, you are automatically registered to vote. If you are not a U.S. citizen, contact your election authority to cancel your voter registration.”
“You may have filled out a DMV or PFD form stating that you are a citizen when you are not. Be sure to contact the election authority to cancel your voter registration if you are registered to vote and are not a U.S. citizen.”
In other words, people who come to Alaska legally or illegally, and even people from other states who may have an address in Alaska, can apply for the dividend, get the voter ID, and are expected to behave honorably and return it.
To be eligible for a dividend from the Alaska Permanent Fund, you do not necessarily have to be a U.S. citizen. You can be someone who is a legal resident of the United States, a refugee, or someone who has been granted asylum.
However, when a dividend application is decided, the voter registration card is already in the applicant’s hands, as this is an automatic process that takes place at the time of application. To vote in Alaska, all one needs to do is present this voter identification card.
The chances of getting caught are vanishingly small. In the last decade, only a few people have been charged with voter fraud.
Even easier, you do not have to be a U.S. citizen to get an Alaska State ID. You can get a photo ID by presenting:
- A foreign passport with appropriate immigration status forms issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
- A document containing an alien residency permit, an alien temporary residency permit, or an employment work permit issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
- An Alaska learner’s permit or Alaska state identification card.
- Citizenship, naturalization or birth certificate from abroad.
Applying for a state ID makes it even more likely that someone will claim a dividend, whether they are eligible or not. They may do so unknowingly, hoping for the best, and then the voter registration card comes in the mail and they are added to the voter rolls. They receive mail and text messages from candidates, and their ballots may also be cast without their knowledge.
According to the American Immigration Council, there are 60,784 immigrants (foreign-born people), making up 8% of the population, including 30,662 women and 25,905 men in 2018. Six years later, that number could be higher, given how open the United States’ southern border is under the Biden administration.
The number of noncitizens who vote illegally in Alaska is unknown and seems to be of little interest to the lieutenant governor, who is responsible for elections.
In most state elections, illegal votes don’t make a difference in the end. But in some cases, an illegal vote can make a difference. In 2018, Bart LeBon won the general election by just one vote. In 2006, Rep. Bryce Edgmon took office after winning a coin toss against incumbent Rep. Carl Moses after the two were tied. Rep. Tom McKay of Anchorage won in 2022 by just 7 votes.
The Permanent Fund Division explains: “In evaluating an alien’s status for PFD eligibility, the term ‘lawfully admitted for permanent residence’ means that an alien must be legally present in Alaska.”
This is important because for many immigrants, a dividend of $1,500 per family member can significantly increase the family’s standard of living and many are therefore motivated to claim dividends regardless of whether they can receive one.
The problem has now become a loophole in Alaska’s election integrity process for the entire Dunleavy administration. Former Lieutenant Governor Kevin didn’t fix it, and neither did Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom, who is now running for Congress – and overseeing elections.
