In Unalaska, Alaska, I went directly to the remote island Sen. Lisa Murkowski cited while raising concerns about the SAVE Act and what its documentary proof-of-citizenship requirements could mean for rural Alaskans.
Murkowski argued that a resident in Unalaska, such as a fisherman or teacher, could have to travel roughly 800 miles to Anchorage to present documentary proof of citizenship.
So I went to Unalaska to find out what residents would actually have to do.
At the local DMV, I asked whether we would have to travel to Anchorage to obtain an ID. The employee told me, “No, you can come here.” When I brought up claims that residents would have to make the trip to Anchorage, the employee responded, “That’s strange.”
At the Unalaska Public Library, an employee confirmed voter registration services are available on the island. The library also provides passport services and directed us to the local DMV for Alaska identification.
We then went to City Hall, where the city clerk confirmed that Unalaska remains a polling location. When I asked whether residents would have to go to Anchorage to vote if the SAVE Act passed, she responded, “No, because we still remain as a polling place here.”
A local resident separately confirmed that voting takes place at City Hall and said residents “don’t have to go to Anchorage.”
We also visited the local post office and spoke with residents and fishermen to document what voter registration, identification, and voting services are actually available in this remote Alaskan community.
After visiting the DMV, library, City Hall, post office, and speaking directly with people on the island, I found the people we interviewed contradicted the claim that Unalaska residents would have to travel 800 miles to Anchorage to register to vote or obtain identification.
Sen. Murkowski’s State Director, Karina Waller, accused a member of OMG of “voter fraud” following our previous Anchorage investigation and said she would include the journalist’s name in a complaint to the Alaska Division of Elections and Department of Law.
OMG went to Unalaska to document firsthand what services are available to rural Alaskans and compare what we found on the ground with what Sen. Murkowski said about the SAVE Act.
We have reached out to Murkowski for comment.
If you’ve witnessed fraud in your community or have information, contact us at [email protected] or message us on Signal at 914-491-9395.
@OKeefeMediaGroup
