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Video Clips

Quoted moments from Alaska public meetings, hearings, and press conferences.

Clips from Alaska State LegislatureClear
0:21

Mike Chenault

“The current law says citizens may vote. It does not specifically say that only citizens can vote. This initiative fixes that.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260805-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Hearing

0:27
Andrew Gray“In Alaska today, it is against the law for a non-US citizen to vote in a local or state or federal election. It is against the law. And how do we know that? Because in 2023, we arrested 11 people in Whittier for voting.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260805-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Hearing

0:09
Andrew Gray“They are American nationals. They are from American Samoa. They carry an American passport. That's the only passport they have.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260805-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Hearing

0:19

Mike Chenault

“It closes a loophole before someone tries to exploit it. And it makes clear once and for all that in Alaska, only U.S. citizens vote.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260805-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Hearing

0:04
Andrew Gray“Because it's just simply not the law. It's misleading. We don't need this language.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260805-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Hearing

0:24

Mike Chenault

“That clarity matters. It helps prevent confusion. It closes potential loopholes.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260805-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Hearing

0:33
Andrew Gray“In 2023, when Tupe Smith and Whittier was encouraged to run for school board by teachers at the school where she volunteered, um, and then was elected, it wasn't because she thought she was exploiting a loophole. The folks didn't understand that they couldn't vote. American Samoans didn't know. And at the time, neither did the Anchorage Elections Office nor the Division of Elections itself when people were seeking clarity on this issue, if they could vote.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260805-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Hearing

0:14
Andrew Gray“Where is the loophole? Why are we putting people in jail or charging them with crimes if it's not a crime?”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260805-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Hearing

0:21
Andrew Gray“We're going to add this and it's going to change nothing in Alaska. And that's unfortunate because we do need to change it because a terrible injustice is happening”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260805-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Hearing

0:25
Andrew Gray“These American nationals are not allowed to vote in local and state elections in Alaska, and that's why they were arrested. So when you say we have a loophole, wouldn't that loophole have applied to these American nationals to be able to vote? I don't understand where the loophole is.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260805-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Hearing

1:06
Nancy Dahlstrom“Unlike legislation that's debated in the legislature, this initiative cannot be amended or altered.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260805-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Hearing

0:59
Andrew Gray“I would love to have the freedom as a legislator to bring forth legislation that might allow American Samoans in Alaska who are American nationals but not U.S. citizens to vote in local and school board elections so that we don't have what happened in Whittier where 11 people were arrested”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260805-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Hearing

0:34
Andrew Gray“in the United States today, Alaska has a larger American Samoan population than any other state behind Hawaii. So it— this is a real issue in our state.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260805-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Hearing

0:54

Tama Solanoa

“A lot of people don't realize that I am not allowed to vote, and even some of my colleagues and friends, when they hear that I don't have a right to vote in this day and age, they are taken aback in a sense that they don't understand why I can't vote.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260805-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Hearing

0:40
Calvin Schrage“the courts have upheld campaign contribution limits, recognizing that the risk of corruption is a true and real danger to our democracy.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260805-0900 - Ballot Measure 1 Hearing ·

0:43
Calvin Schrage“that changed in 2021 when a federal court struck down Alaska's voter-approved campaign contribution limits, resulting in elections where a donor can give unlimited amounts directly to a candidate.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260805-0900 - Ballot Measure 1 Hearing ·

0:23
Calvin Schrage“By voting yes, Alaskans are choosing to reinstate fair, reasonable, and constitutional campaign limits.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260805-0900 - Ballot Measure 1 Hearing ·

1:17
Calvin Schrage“instead adjust these limits every 10 years based on the inflation over that 10-year period to ensure that they do stay up to date, limiting candidates from receiving very large, potentially corrupting donations”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260805-0900 - Ballot Measure 1 Hearing ·

0:26
Calvin Schrage“In 2006, 73% of Alaskan voters confirmed these values by supporting strict contribution limits to keep big money from dominating our political landscape.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260805-0900 - Ballot Measure 1 Hearing ·

0:27
Bethany Marcum“In 2024, for one race alone, the repeal ranked choice voting race, $15 million of dark money came in. And that's just on the to one side.”

Alaska Legislature: 2026 General Election - Ballot Measure No. 2 - 24ESEG - Initiative Hearings ·

0:33
Nancy Dahlstrom“An act restoring political party primaries, ending ranked choice election— general elections, and repealing recent campaign finance laws. This act would get rid of open primary elections where all candidates appear on one ballot.”

Alaska Legislature: 2026 General Election - Ballot Measure No. 2 - 24ESEG - Initiative Hearings ·

0:38
Bethany Marcum“So we want to be clear that a yes on 2 vote would return Alaska to primary elections that are open to unaffiliated and independent voters. It's just false to say that this repeal will result in closed primaries.”

Alaska Legislature: 2026 General Election - Ballot Measure No. 2 - 24ESEG - Initiative Hearings ·

0:22
Bethany Marcum“So we encourage all Alaskans to vote yes to end the mess of ranked choice voting on November 3rd.”

Alaska Legislature: 2026 General Election - Ballot Measure No. 2 - 24ESEG - Initiative Hearings ·

0:25

Judy Eledge

“It is not a closed primary when 83% of all Alaskans can vote in our primary. You can be undeclared, you can be nonpartisan, you can even be a Libertarian and vote.”

Alaska Legislature: 2026 General Election - Ballot Measure No. 2 - 24ESEG - Initiative Hearings ·

0:33
Bethany Marcum“And so what we hear from voters is they feel that this is unnecessarily complex. And it causes a lot of voter fatigue and confusion for them.”

Alaska Legislature: 2026 General Election - Ballot Measure No. 2 - 24ESEG - Initiative Hearings ·

0:44

Judy Eledge

“And last time there was $15 million against $150,000. So now that this particular campaign has been able to bring some money and find, find some, some money it's— we're the only ones that are doing dark money. So I just think that's really disingenuous to say that.”

Alaska Legislature: 2026 General Election - Ballot Measure No. 2 - 24ESEG - Initiative Hearings ·

0:42

Judy Eledge

“The second untruth that I feel is bringing in dark money, and I really do have to chuckle When I, when I hear them accusing us of dark money, when I know for a fact there is a billionaire in Colorado that has funded Alaskans for Better Elections”

Alaska Legislature: 2026 General Election - Ballot Measure No. 2 - 24ESEG - Initiative Hearings ·

0:41

Judy Eledge

“Every dime that is donated to us, eventually it— APOC has— it is, it is disclosed.”

Alaska Legislature: 2026 General Election - Ballot Measure No. 2 - 24ESEG - Initiative Hearings ·

0:40
Nancy Dahlstrom“This act would also repeal campaign finance rules that were passed in 2020. It would remove the limits on donations to joint campaigns for governor and lieutenant governor. It would remove limits and disclosure rules under current law, including for digital ads, out-of-state donations, undisclosed donations, and the true source of donations.”

Alaska Legislature: 2026 General Election - Ballot Measure No. 2 - 24ESEG - Initiative Hearings ·

0:33
Nancy Dahlstrom“I would like to remind everyone that there will be another hearing on this ballot measure on August 5th in this room, and also the same dial-in numbers.”

Alaska Legislature: 2026 General Election - Ballot Measure No. 2 - 24ESEG - Initiative Hearings ·

0:39
Bethany Marcum“So the disclosure rules that passed in 2020 simply punish newcomer candidates. They are disproportionately burdensome for grassroots and smaller campaigns and candidates.”

Alaska Legislature: 2026 General Election - Ballot Measure No. 2 - 24ESEG - Initiative Hearings ·

0:14
Joelle Hall“This dark money ban is about secrecy. It is not about volume. It is not about out-of-state money. It is about being able to hide behind fake names.”

Alaska Legislature: 2026 General Election - Ballot Measure No. 2 - 24ESEG - Initiative Hearings ·

0:30
Bethany Marcum“One of the most common concerns we hear from voters is exhausted ballots.”

Alaska Legislature: 2026 General Election - Ballot Measure No. 2 - 24ESEG - Initiative Hearings ·

0:25
Bethany Marcum“Voters also don't trust turning elections over to a computer algorithm. It's one thing for them to trust a system to just count the votes and see who has the highest number of votes. But for them to trust this complex calculation that happens behind the scenes is a step too far for most people.”

Alaska Legislature: 2026 General Election - Ballot Measure No. 2 - 24ESEG - Initiative Hearings ·

0:33

Judy Eledge

“My name is Judy Eledge, and I am chair of Repel Now. And some are wondering why I got involved with this for a third attempt is that I truly do believe in one person and one vote.”

Alaska Legislature: 2026 General Election - Ballot Measure No. 2 - 24ESEG - Initiative Hearings ·

0:17
Alyse Galvin“Very, very devastatingly. And, and that's a cert— that's again, that's all because it's related to federal law. That's the way that's set up. We can do something differently here if we chose to, but right now we're following the federal law.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260727-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Public Hearing

0:37
Andrew Gray“What this ballot measure before us does is make it so that they can never do that, barring any action from the federal government. It does not look like at this moment, from my vantage point, that the American federal government is about to expand voting rights to American Samoans. So this ballot measure would really constrain what the legislature can do to solve this issue. What an American Samoan is currently is an American national.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260727-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Public Hearing

0:27
Andrew Gray“American Samoans born in American Samoa carry one passport, a U.S. passport. They pledge allegiance to one flag, the American flag, and they serve in one military, the U.S. military. And I have served with American Samoans in the Alaska National Guard, and I have deployed with them, and they are patriots. They should be able to vote.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260727-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Public Hearing

0:26
Andrew Gray“There is room at this particular moment without this ballot measure of expanding being able to vote and serve at the local school board, for example, if we were to expand it to American nationals in Alaska. And I think that that's the just thing to do. I think it's the right thing to do. I think it's the moral thing to do.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260727-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Public Hearing

0:39
Andrew Gray“we already know that only U.S. citizens can vote, and what we are doing is hurting a population of Alaskans who want to serve their community and want to vote in their community, and this ballot measure will prevent that.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260727-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Public Hearing

0:23
Andrew Gray“In that investigation of American Samoans who had voted for an American Samoan who ran for school board, it was clear that the Anchorage Elections Office did not understand the rules. The Division of Elections did not understand the rules. Law enforcement did not understand the rules. And unfortunately, in that environment of no one understanding the rules, neither did the American Samoans who were arrested.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260727-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Public Hearing

0:26
Andrew Gray“And so is this ballot measure in response to that? If so, that breaks my heart. It breaks my heart that those people would be led to this moment in time.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260727-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Public Hearing

0:16
Alyse Galvin“They're afraid to go into the polls. That's not okay. They're afraid because of all of this rhetoric around, um, what's happening with ICE and everything else. They don't know if now they're on some special list.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260727-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Public Hearing

0:40
Alyse Galvin“they were asked, "Hey, can you prove up that you're a citizen?" Well, 3 years ago they went to the DMV with their new passport. They were so excited to be new U.S. citizens. Again, 2023. And they brought that into the DMV, and yet somehow they're getting a letter from the Division of Elections because they're in the questionable category. And I will say that my, um, constituent, now a newfound friend, um, is scared.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260727-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Public Hearing

0:43
Andrew Gray“I beg people to vote no on this ballot measure. It is unnecessary. Our law is currently clear. Do not hamstring the legislature from being able to do the moral right thing and help American Samoans vote.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260727-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Public Hearing

0:18
Andrew Gray“In Alaska, non-U.S. citizens are already forbidden from voting in local and state elections. This is what led to the arrest of voters in Whittier a couple of years ago.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260727-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Public Hearing

0:38
Alyse Galvin“When I would be comfortable supporting it if I knew we actually had a problem. If somebody said, look at all these voters who shouldn't have voted. Well, you just heard from our representative from the Umeå district that that has happened in the Samoan community.”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260727-1130 Ballot Measure 3 Public Hearing

0:23
Ashley Carrick“I'm not familiar with any race where someone has filed for office with a party affiliation requested to be on the ballot and then it not be listed on the ballot. So, do we have any examples where that has been the case?”

Alaska Legislature: MISC-20260722-1300 ·

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