Nicholas the Third votes for bill that would make it impossible for thousands of Alaskans to vote

Rep. Nick Begich the Third voted for the so-called “SAVE” act that will disenfranchise thousands of Alaskans from voting by requiring documents that many of them don’t have.

Nicholas the Third and all Republicans, along with four Democrats, voted to require that people show proof of citizenship when registering to vote. It is clearly a voter suppression plan.

He has declined to explain how many thousands of Alaskans he wants to prevent from voting. Alaska news organizations need to cover Nicholas the Third and not just when he issues press releases bragging about this or that.

Many Alaska rural residents do not have passports or birth certificates. Many married women do not have documents that establish name changes. There is no question this will have a disproportionate impact on Alaska, especially in the villages.

Begich’s bill will make it impossible for thousands of citizens in Alaska to vote. It will make it difficult for many other thousands. The extreme Republicans who control the House think they have a better chance of keeping in power if they can reduce the number of votes.

The non-partisan League of Women Voters summarized the Begich-backed bill this way:

“The SAVE Act is based on misinformation and fearmongering rather than facts, as there is no evidence of widespread non-citizen voter registration or voting in state and federal elections. Instead, the SAVE Act will create new barriers to voter registration by requiring submission of documentary proof of citizenship materials in person every time a voter updates their registration, which particularly harms rural voters, voters of color, married women who have changed their last names, and other voters who have been historically marginalized who already face obstacles in accessing the ballot box.”

Nicholas the Third has not made a public statement about his vote, perhaps hoping that no one will notice.