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Alaska drops cases against American Samoans who checked ‘US citizen’ on voter form
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- Alaska prosecutors are dropping voter misconduct charges against 11 American Samoa-born residents after a state appeals court ruled that felony charges require proof of intentional wrongdoing.
- The appeals court found procedural flaws in the case against Tupe Smith, who had incorrectly marked herself as a US citizen on voter registration forms due to misleading information from election officials.
- Acting Attorney General Cori Mills stated prosecutors could not prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, leading to the dismissal of charges against Smith and others, including her husband.
- American Samoa residents are US nationals but not citizens, allowing them to vote locally but not in most US elections; this legal nuance contributed to confusion in voter registration.
- Legal representatives criticized the prosecution as lacking evidence of intentional fraud, emphasizing the importance of protecting individuals from felony charges for honest mistakes.
