# More Than 600 Were Citizens. About 1,900 Never Answered > Alaska's elections director told lawmakers more than 600 citizens came off the active voter list and she won't restore them herself. Published 2026-08-07 by Alaska AI. 9 slides. Canonical: https://alaskaaihq.com/archive/2026-08-07/ ## What we verified - The Alaska Division of Elections posted a notice titled Division of Elections responds to lawmakers' inquiry on August 6th, 2026. [Alaska Division of Elections](https://www.elections.alaska.gov/division-of-elections-responds-to-lawmakers-inquiry/), primary document, 2026-08-06. - The Alaska Division of Elections lists the 2026 primary election as August 18, 2026 and the general election as November 3, 2026. [Alaska Division of Elections](https://www.elections.alaska.gov/election-information/), primary document, 2026-08-07. - The Division of Elections says absentee in person and early voting locations are open for voting starting 15 days prior to and through Election Day. [Alaska Division of Elections](https://www.elections.alaska.gov/voter-information/absentee-and-early-voting/), primary document, 2026-08-07. - The deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail for the 2026 primary is August 8th, 2026. [Alaska Division of Elections](https://www.elections.alaska.gov/voter-information/absentee-and-early-voting/), primary document, 2026-08-07. - More than 600 U.S. citizens were mistakenly flagged as possible noncitizens and removed from Alaska's list of active voters, according to the Division of Elections director's letter to lawmakers. [Alaska Beacon (James Brooks)](https://alaskabeacon.com/feed/), report, 2026-08-06. - The Beacon reported that 3,058 people were removed from Alaska's active voter list after the Division of Elections compared its citizenship data against Division of Motor Vehicles records. [Alaska Beacon (James Brooks)](https://alaskabeacon.com/feed/), report, 2026-08-06. - Alaska Public Media reported on July 23rd, 2026 that a Division of Elections spokesman gave the specific figure of 3,048. [Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/2026-07-23/state-removes-3-500-alaskans-from-voter-rolls-based-in-part-on-old-data), report, 2026-07-23. - Elections Director Carol Beecher wrote that approximately 685 voters have contacted the Division and stated they are citizens despite the inconsistency with the DMV's records. [Alaska Beacon (James Brooks), quoting the Beecher letter](https://alaskabeacon.com/feed/), report, 2026-08-06. - Beecher wrote that more than 100 people have reported they are not citizens and requested that their voter registration be cancelled. [Alaska Beacon (James Brooks), quoting the Beecher letter](https://alaskabeacon.com/feed/), report, 2026-08-06. - About 350 of the letters the Division of Elections sent to affected Alaskans were returned as undeliverable. [Alaska Beacon (James Brooks)](https://alaskabeacon.com/feed/), report, 2026-08-06. - About 1,900 affected Alaskans have not responded at all to the Division's letter. [Alaska Beacon (James Brooks)](https://alaskabeacon.com/feed/), report, 2026-08-06. - In 2024 the DMV and the Division of Elections compared just 2,000 records. [Alaska Beacon (James Brooks)](https://alaskabeacon.com/feed/), report, 2026-08-06. - More than 580,000 records were compared this year, a volume the DMV called non-routine. [Alaska Beacon (James Brooks)](https://alaskabeacon.com/feed/), report, 2026-08-06. - Beecher wrote that the Division has paused additional DMV comparisons while it evaluates this initial effort and incorporates lessons learned. [Alaska Beacon (James Brooks), quoting the Beecher letter](https://alaskabeacon.com/feed/), report, 2026-08-06. - Beecher said she will not unilaterally return affected Alaskans to the voter rolls and that the division will instead send out another notice to affected voters. [Alaska Beacon (James Brooks)](https://alaskabeacon.com/feed/), report, 2026-08-06. - Someone removed from the voter list may still cast a vote this year but will not appear on their precinct register and must provide additional identity information to cast a questioned ballot. [Alaska Beacon (James Brooks)](https://alaskabeacon.com/feed/), report, 2026-08-06. - A joint statement from the Division of Motor Vehicles and the Division of Elections said Elections most recently asked DMV to compare lists in March 2026, producing the letters that were recently sent. [Alaska's News Source, quoting the joint DMV and Division of Elections statement](https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2026/07/30/lawmakers-say-elections-division-illegally-deactivated-registration-thousands-voters-urges-director-reverse-decision/), report, 2026-07-29. - Beecher said the Division of Elections sent a letter to about 3,500 Alaskans. [Alaska Public Media](https://alaskapublic.org/news/2026-07-23/state-removes-3-500-alaskans-from-voter-rolls-based-in-part-on-old-data), report, 2026-07-23. - A bipartisan group of 23 legislators wrote to Elections Director Carol Beecher asking that all names be put back on the active voters list unless ineligibility has been established. [KMXT / Alaska Public Media (Liz Ruskin)](https://www.kmxt.org/alaska-statewide-news/2026-07-30/23-alaska-legislators-ask-state-to-restore-voters-wrongfully-removed-from-the-rolls), report, 2026-07-30. - KMXT reported that Beecher told legislators voters could get back on the voter list by contacting the division and affirming that they are citizens. [KMXT / Alaska Public Media (Liz Ruskin)](https://www.kmxt.org/alaska-statewide-news/2026-07-30/23-alaska-legislators-ask-state-to-restore-voters-wrongfully-removed-from-the-rolls), report, 2026-07-30. - Public Citizen's election deepfake legislation tracker lists Alaska Senate Bill 64 with its election deepfake provision removed, and does not list Alaska among enacted states. [Public Citizen](https://www.citizen.org/article/tracker-legislation-on-deepfakes-in-elections/), report, 2026-08-07. - The Alaska Legislature passed a bipartisan elections bill, Senate Bill 64, that would have improved voter roll list maintenance, and Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed it before an override attempt failed. [Alaska Beacon (James Brooks)](https://alaskabeacon.com/feed/), report, 2026-08-06. - The Division of Elections disclosed a list last year which showed 70 noncitizens either voted or attempted to vote in elections over the past decade. [Alaska Beacon (James Brooks)](https://alaskabeacon.com/feed/), report, 2026-08-06. - Beecher dismissed an Anchorage temporary poll worker after she raised concerns about how poll workers were instructed to handle voters flagged as possible noncitizens. [Alaska Beacon (James Brooks), quoting an email from Carol Beecher](https://alaskabeacon.com/feed/), report, 2026-08-06. Slides and the deck PDF are linked from the canonical page.