Alaska voters on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, approved a ballot measure to amend the state’s voter eligibility statute. The measure, titled Ballot Measure 3 and also known as Initiative Petition 25USCV, adds the word “only” to existing law to specify that “only a person who is a citizen of the United States” may vote in any election. Decision Desk HQ projected the measure would pass with approximately 70% support.
The initiative changes the wording of Alaska’s current law, which previously stated “a person may vote at any election who is a citizen of the United States.” While federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections, state and local governments have varying rules for their own contests. Supporters of the Alaska measure argued that the change was necessary to prevent future local efforts to expand voting rights to noncitizens, citing a proposal considered in Los Angeles, California, earlier in the year.
The measure was sponsored by several former Republican state legislators, including former state senators John Coghill and Josh Revak, and former House Speaker Mike Chenault. The supporting group, Alaskans for Citizen Voting, raised nearly $900,000 for the effort, with more than $800,000 provided by billionaire donor Richard Uihlein. No formal group registered to oppose the measure, though some independent and Democratic legislators testified that the change was redundant.
The effort in Alaska is part of a broader national trend involving at least six states in 2026, including Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, South Dakota, and West Virginia, which sought to enact similar citizen-only voting requirements. In Alaska, the measure is a statutory change rather than a constitutional amendment. Critics, such as Rep. Alyse Galvin (I), noted that the focus on citizenship has coincided with the Alaska Division of Elections removing 3,000 voters from active lists pending proof of citizenship earlier in the year. She stated this rhetoric has created an environment of fear for newly naturalized citizens who may now feel less comfortable appearing at polling places.
Following the certification of the vote, the new language will be integrated into the Alaska Statutes. No further votes are scheduled on this specific language.