Nicholas the Third can't keep his story straight

Rep. Nick Begich the Third either doesn’t understand the voter suppression bill he supported or he lied about it in an interview with Alaska Public Media.

Nicholas the Third said that showing an Alaska driver’s license would be all anyone needs to register to vote.

“The REAL ID was acquired in a manner that is demonstrative of your citizenship status,” he told Alaska Public Media reporter Liz Ruskin.

But that’s not true.

As the Division of Motor Vehicles states clearly on its website, what’s required to obtain a REAL ID is “Proof of U.S. Citizenship, Permanent Residency, or other Lawful Status.”

In other words, you would not be able to register to vote with an Alaska driver’s license alone, contrary to Begich’s claim.

Begich’s office admitted to Alaska Public Media that Begich was wrong, but Nicholas the Third has yet to explain if he didn’t understand the bill or if he was lying. Either way, this is shocking.

The bill he supported says that a REAL ID that identifies the holder as a citizen is sufficient. But an Alaska driver’s license does not contain anything “that indicates the applicant is a citizen of the United States.”

Only five states have REAL ID driver’s licenses that show citizenship.

Sen. Dan Sullivan is cosponsoring the bill in the Senate. “His office sent a statement saying the bill wouldn’t disenfranchise Alaskans,” Ruskin wrote.

Sullivan and Begich and wrong, The bill does disenfranchise Alaskans. It is federal overreach, as Sen. Lisa Murkowski understands.

“Election Day is fast approaching. Imposing new federal requirements now, when states are deep into their preparations, would negatively impact election integrity by forcing election officials to scramble to adhere to new policies likely without the necessary resources. Ensuring public trust in our elections is at the core of our democracy, but federal overreach is not how we achieve this,” she said.

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Begich claims that this language in the voter suppression allows anyone with an Alaska REAL ID driver’s license to register to vote. But that’s not true because nothing on an Alaska REAL ID license “indicates the applicant is a citizen of the United States.”