James OKeefe has released undercover footage from Alaska that raises fresh concerns about election integrity and the ease with which ballots can be obtained without identification.
According to Breitbart, OKeefe, founder of OKeefe Media Group (OMG), visited a polling place in Anchorage during Alaskas primary election and requested a ballot under the name Brian Murkowski, the brother of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). A poll worker located the name on the voter rolls, confirmed he was at the correct precinct, and proceeded as though nothing was amiss when OKeefe admitted he did not have identification with him.
OKeefe then asked if he could still vote after stating he had left his ID at home, prompting a poll worker to respond, Absolutely possible. Another worker reinforced the lax standard by telling him, You can vote if youd like to, after which OKeefe inquired whether he could complete the ballot paperwork and then cast a vote, receiving the reply, Yes, sir.
OKeefe ultimately declined to submit a ballot, later explaining that Brian Murkowski no longer resides in Alaska but remains on the states voter rolls, a fact that underscores how outdated registration lists can be exploited. His team conducted a similar test using the name of Karina Waller, Sen. Murkowskis state director, to determine whether the same vulnerabilities existed under another high-profile name.
At a separate Anchorage polling location, a female colleague of OKeefes provided Wallers name and again claimed to have no identification, and a poll worker confirmed the registration and offered her a ballot without hesitation. The episode highlights how, in practice, Alaskas system allows individuals to obtain ballots simply by reciting a name on the voter list, with no meaningful safeguard against impersonation.
Before the video went public, Murkowskis office attempted to draw a distinction between supporting voter ID in principle and opposing federal legislation designed to tighten standards nationwide. Press Secretary Joe Plesha told OMG, Murkowski is consistently support the requirement of photo ID to vote. And earlier this month, she voted in favor of a separate measure on the Senate floor to do just that. However, the SAVE America Act is an overly burdensome, one size fits all mandate from Washington. It would be impossible to implement in time for this election and would likely disenfranchise thousands of eligible Alaskan voters. In any case, voter impersonation is a crime and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Murkowski has repeatedly opposed the SAVE America Act, even voting in March against beginning Senate debate on the bill, though it advanced on a 5148 vote. She reiterated her resistance in July, arguing that the measure could disenfranchise voters in remote Alaska communities and could not be implemented before November, while maintaining that she supports voter ID and U.S.-citizen-only voting but believes the SAVE America Act goes too far, a stance that will likely face renewed scrutiny from conservatives demanding stronger, uniform election safeguards.
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