Whittier case poses a larger question: Why can’t these Americans vote?

Michael Pese was among 10 Whittier residents charged in April, 2025 with illegal voting. He was born in American Samoa, so he’s a U.S. national but not a citizen. He spoke at at a May 2, 2025 press briefing in Anchorage. (Matt Faubion/Alaska Public Media)
Ten people from Whittier charged with illegal voting made initial court appearances Friday — a routine procedure in a case that has the potential to be anything but.
The 10 were born in American Samoa. That gives them the unique sta