Alaska drops cases against American Samoans who checked ‘US citizen’ on voter form
Summary
Alaska prosecutors dropped voter misconduct charges against people born in American Samoa after a court ruled that there must be proof they knew they were breaking the law. The case began after a woman from American Samoa, who is a US national but not a citizen, checked “US citizen” on a voter form based on incorrect information from election officials.Key Facts
- Alaska’s appeals court said the law requires proof that someone knowingly broke the voting rules.
- The court found mistakes in how a state trooper questioned Tupe Smith and in the grand jury process.
- Prosecutors said they could not prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and dropped charges against Smith and others.
- Eleven people from Whittier, Alaska, were charged with falsely claiming US citizenship on voter forms.
- People born in American Samoa are US nationals, not US citizens, but can vote in local American Samoa elections.
- There is no option to mark “US national” on Alaska voter registration forms, causing confusion.
- Smith was elected to a school board in 2023 and acted on wrong advice when she marked herself as a US citizen.
- Prosecutors argued that Smith knowingly lied, but the court ruled there was no clear evidence she intentionally did so.
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