Election Report Released

Finds Issues in Clerk's Office

Tools

By Kirsten Swann

Story Created: Jul 3, 2012 at 8:33 AM AKDT

Story Updated: Jul 3, 2012 at 8:33 AM AKDT

ANCHORAGE - Flawed but fixable – that's what an independent investigator concluded in the most recent report on the April 3 municipal election.

Former judge Dan Hensley submitted his nine page report to the assembly Saturday, and concluded that election workers never intended to unfairly influence the controversial election.

Instead, Hensley concluded that former deputy municipal clerk Jacqueline Duke was simply too inexperienced to run the election herself.

But Assembly Chair Ernie Hall says another fact caught his eye – many communities across Alaska, including Fairbanks and Anchorage, didn't have written, uniform protocols for dealing with ballot shortages and other election issues.

"To me, that's kind of a blasé approach – 'we'll just kind of do it in a feel-good kind of matter' – and to me, I don't think you can just do it in a feel good kind of manner, there needs to be a protocol in place where you can handle the largest election that you've ever handled," Hall said.

Hensley is currently working on a follow up report on the AccuVote and data processing review boards; he says that will be available within two weeks.

You have indicated this comment should be removed.

Close

The comment has been submitted for review. Thank you .

Bev Harris said on Wednesday, Jul 4 at 4:49 AM

Ballot shortages have too-often provided unacceptable explanations for voter disenfranchisement in controversial elections. Strategic ballot-shorting can be used to manipulate election results. Because (unlike the findings say in this report) it is NOT POSSIBLE to determine whether a ballot shortage was accidental or deliberate, and because (as this report points out) is is NOT POSSIBLE to calculate how many voters were disenfranchised, nor restore their vote to the outcome, ballot shortages should be taken seriously and addressed ahead of time by local election protection advocates, and with protective measures. Additional measure needed in Anchorage, and used elsewhere, include providing poll workers with cell phones and using broadcast messaging from elections office to immediately address problems.

95432271
Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Add a comment

Name:

Comment: 1000 Characters Left

KTVA CBS 11 | Anchorage, Alaska News and Weather and its affiliated companies are not responsible for the content of comments posted or for anything arising out of use of the above comments or other interaction among the users. We reserve the right to screen, refuse to post, remove or edit user-generated content at any time and for any or no reason in our absolute and sole discretion without prior notice, although we have no duty to do so or to monitor any Public Forum.
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.