SAVE Act: Voter ID Debate in Alaska

0:00From the Daily News Now Network, this is Anchorage News Today. The sayback is a bill aimed at making sure only United States citizens vote in federal elections. It requires proof of citizenship, like a passport, or a government photo ID showing a United States birthplace. Supporters say it enforces current law, and it's a big push from conservatives. This will make mail-in voting tougher in places like Alaska. Voters would need to send copies of their ID, both when requesting a ballot and when returning it. That's harder than just getting a witness signature, which is already a common reason ballots get rejected there. Nationally, President Trump and others claim millions of non-citizens are voting illegally, but there's no evidence for that. In Alaska, the state found just 70 suspected cases over the last decade and charged more than 10 people. Still, the issue fires up voters on both sides. Alaska's congressional team is split. Senator Lisa Murkowski backs voter ID, but once states to decide the rules.

1:00Senators Dan Sullivan and Representative Nick Begich support the bill, pointing to Congress's power under the Constitution. The Senate plans an initial vote next week, but Republicans lack the 60 votes to beat a filibuster. That could stall things or spark talks to change Senate rules. Meanwhile, Alaska has its own ballot measure, restating that only citizens can vote. CNN is brought to you by our sponsor.