Alaskan Resident Proposes Fines for Voter Fraud

Letter writer suggests $10,000 penalties for illegitimate and legitimate votes

Mar. 29, 2026 at 5:24pm

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A photorealistic painting of an old-fashioned metal ballot box sitting alone on an empty city street, with warm sunlight casting long shadows across the pavement. The scene has a nostalgic, contemplative mood, reflecting the complex issues surrounding voting and democracy.A quiet, cinematic scene captures the solitary nature of the voting process and the ongoing debate around election integrity.Anchorage Today

In a letter to the Anchorage Daily News, Anchorage resident Mark Beaudin proposed a solution to concerns about non-citizens voting in elections. Beaudin suggested assessing a $10,000 fine for each illegitimate vote counted, with the offending state having to pay that money to the federal government. He also proposed the federal government paying a $10,000 fine to the state for each legitimate voter whose vote is disallowed due to requirements in the SAVE Act.

Why it matters

Voter fraud and election integrity have been highly contentious political issues, with some claiming widespread fraud while others say it is extremely rare. Beaudin's proposal aims to address these concerns through financial penalties, though it remains to be seen if such an approach would be feasible or effective.

The details

In his letter, Beaudin referenced a previous letter from Pastor Mathew Vroman of Akutan criticizing Senator Lisa Murkowski for opposing the SAVE America Act. Beaudin argued that many people have been "fooled by the titles given to bills" and the "torrent of deceit" coming from Washington Republicans. He believes that fining states $10,000 for each illegitimate vote counted, while also fining the federal government $10,000 for each legitimate vote disallowed, would be a fair solution to address concerns about voter fraud.

  • The letter was published on March 29, 2026.

The players

Mark Beaudin

An Anchorage, Alaska resident who wrote the letter proposing fines for voter fraud.

Mathew Vroman

A pastor in Akutan, Alaska who previously wrote a letter criticizing Senator Lisa Murkowski for opposing the SAVE America Act.

Lisa Murkowski

A U.S. Senator from Alaska who opposed the SAVE America Act, according to the previous letter.

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What they’re saying

“If you are worried about people who are not American citizens casting ballots successfully, then assess a $10,000 fine for each such ballot that gets counted. The offending state would have to pay that money to the federal government. And to be fair, the federal government would have to pay a $10,000 fine to the state for each legitimate voter whose vote is disallowed because of the onerous requirements included in the SAVE Act.”

— Mark Beaudin, Anchorage Resident

The takeaway

Beaudin's proposal to fine states and the federal government for illegitimate and legitimate votes, respectively, reflects the ongoing debate around voter fraud and election integrity. While the feasibility of such an approach is unclear, it highlights the desire of some to find solutions to address concerns about the voting process.