The Alaska Republican Party said on Sunday that it will be asking the Division of Elections for a recount of the votes on Ballot Measure 2, which gave Alaskans the option of repealing ranked-choice voting.
Although dark money from Outside Alaska overwhelmed proponents of the repeal, it ended up failing to be repealed by just 664 votes, a tiny margin.
Of the 320,574 votes cast on the measure, the margin of “No” votes to “Yes” votes was 50.1% to 49.9%. The state must cover the costs of a recount when the margin is this close.
“We will submit this request, along with the names of the requisite Alaskan voters required to initiate this process, once the election is certified, which is scheduled for November 30, 2024,” said the statement issued by the Alaska Republican Party.
The party has hired the Dhillon Law Group, led by Harmeet K. Dhillon, to be on the ground during the recount and review, along with Alaska-based party counsel and observers.
“Ms. Dhillon and her firm are a nationally recognized, seasoned election integrity legal team, and bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to this recount process. Ms. Dhillon is an expert in election law. She and her colleagues Michael Columbo and Mark Meuser were recently on the legal teams in Arizona, Pennsylvania, and other crucial locations nationally to ensure a fair, transparent, and thorough process,” said Party Chairwoman Carmela Warfield. “Our Party Counsel, Ms. Stacey Stone and her team, are experienced Alaskan election law practitioners, and in September 2024, they successfully intervened on the Alaska Republican Party’s behalf in the case of Alaska Democratic Party v. State of Alaska Division of Elections, ultimately prevailing in the Alaska Supreme Court.”
Good Cause their is no way it should’ve takin that long to count
This is big news indeed. Alaska’s Division of Elections kept counting ballots from who knows where for 15 days after the November 5 election until Ballot Measure 2 was “defeated.” This is a reoccurring pattern that always favors the evil and corrupt left. This must stop! It is not right and I hope and pray Ms. Dhillon finds the smoking guns where cheating has occurred and RCV in Alaska is repealed forever.
And if she doesn’t, does that mean there wasn’t fraud?
Probably, but after 15 days past Election Day and still counting ballots is fraud to me.
I think it’s time to question whether RCV is even legal. While there might not be a law stating so, it certainly violates the tenant of “one person one vote.” Many Alaskans were tricked by the Outside money. I applaud the Republican party for starting to fight back! For so long we’ve been outspent by Outside leftists. Let’s take our state back!
Tricked….more like very gullible and low information voters. Seems the candidate ranking during the 2024 election in most case did not change the results. Heck, most people I spoke with about RCV did not have a clue regarding the 2020 ballot measure language. Sad that people are easily manipulated into believing the preposterous especially with the RCV push.
Tricked, is being nice. They absolutely lied in their advertising. I’ve seen this so many times Rich elite from outside the state, forcing their views down our throats with large amount of money for advertising.
CC: That ship sailed years ago. Where were you when the measure was first proposed or enacted.
Get with it in real time or find another hobby besides whining and post hoc carping.
I don’t think a recount will disclose much as it seems if someone had access to voter rolls, and after the voting has ended simply took names of people who didn’t vote and then created ballots for them, a boatload of ‘legitimate’ appearing manufactured ballots could be created. That would require investigation and examining signatures, not just a recount. Is that even possible? That would be a chain of custody issue? I am just speculating.
Such whiners. Just accept the results. If they magically find 700 votes, the state is still just as divided on the issue. Grow up.
Interesting that public discussions did not show the state so divided on this issue and instead, showed so many in favor of repealing RCV.
Its not that interesting. The loudest and maddest went to the public discussion, the rest of us lived our life.
I still question the 113,000 voter IDs that were found to be corrupted and on the dark web. Were any of these voters used to swing the vote on Ballot Measure 2. It just seems suspicious that the vote against repelling kept creeping up until such time they overcame the difference and defeated the repeal. My confidence in the Division of Elections for this state is extremely low at this point. It is a good thing that Dahlstrom exited the race for our Representative as she is becoming more swampy each day.
Sounds like the Alaskan Republican party finally grew a spine, hopefully if there was any malfeasance they will find it and correct the vote accordingly.
The GOP has been actively monitoring this ballot measure and various results in close races.
Anywhere that the AK GOP can save face and claim the credit for themselves they are showing a spine. True that they got some higher ups to acknowledge that Alaska exists and needs help. Where was the AK GOP for the past three years – or even this last crucial year? Nowhere to be found.
Excellent! Good news.
I would like to know why patently untrue television commercials were allowed to run on local television stations *and* similar fliers were distributed through the mail. It was very easy for voters to be confused about Ranked Choice Voting (RCV).
Completely inaccurate advertising must stop in all political races, but especially this one!
Well, there is the 1st Amendment.
Agreed. Apparently, “news” is now allowed to outright lie.
I heard that the Alaska AG will not go after the group who were putting the deceptive ads out there. Slippery slope!
I hope this is not just a simple recount but a comprehensive forensic review.
Keep fishing.
Do you ever engage in actual analysis instead of constantly spit-balling the first thing that erupts from your brain?
Joe – do you ever engage in critical thinking?
Agree. If there are manufactured ballots counting will just recount those as well.
While a recount is certainly warranted given the shallow margin of victory, or defeat depend on which side you’re on, it’s important to remember that all Alaska has to do, is vote it out, and it’s gone probably forever.
Obviously, many Alaskans, favorite it for one reason or another. You can’t start questioning whether it’s legal or not and throw the baby out with the bathwater, there’s ways to get rid of it, and those must be followed.
Sadly, I do not think a recount will change things very much. I have not heard anything about counting a bunch of shady or late ballots. (Someone let me know if that is the case.) The money spent on attorneys could be better spent elsewhere.
Let’s gear up and get RCV repealed in 2026.
Probably, since it took them so long to announce the results, they were thorough in their counting the first time around and the results will stand.
No, because the same stunt will be pulled in ’26. We need to fight it now.
Another Democrat cheat, lie, and steal operation. It’s what they do. Bill Walker. Robin Brenna. And of course, Scott Kendall.
Evidence for this assertion?
The evidence of lying was perfectly clear when it appeared on the ballot the first time for those of us with a memory.
The ballot measure was supposed to eliminate “outside dark money” from being used in our election process.
Evidence,you ask? Here it is:
Lisa Murkowski.
William: call your physician and make an appointment to adjust your meds.
The biggest news in this story is that the Alaska Republican Party is crossing swords with Princess Lisa. Perhaps too little too late, but a move in the right direction.
I voted no, and I also support a recount. When it’s this close a recount is prudent. Contrary to what many that comment here believe, there a lot of people in Alaska that support RCV.
Yeah, darn near half of the people that voted. You can’t ignore any election with those results.
I wonder how many actually know why.
Part 2.
In the last “closed” primary anyone except Democrats could vote in the Republican primary. So the argument that you had to join a party isn’t valid. The only people barred from voting in a Republican primary HAD joined a party.
I agree, there are a lot of people in Alaska that support RCV vote process as well as lots of convicted criminals all across America that feel they are entitled to have the opportunity to represent Alaska in DC.
It makes perfect sense (for senseless voters).
EXCELLENT!!! Something’s just not right. I know it’s probably not legal to do this BUT cameras need to be placed near the people that are working the polling stations in all polling places!
We’ve just seen this too many times. A measure or candidate against the Liberal left pulls a big lead, when the polls close the gap has tightened. Two weeks after the election, guess what?? The Liberal candidate and causes win by the slimmest of margins. Recount!
Well done, Carmella Warfield! A recount of the latest RCV status vote is clearly warranted. Our RCV adventure is marked by voters going to bed thinking RCV was surely voted down only to wake up to seeing endless incremental ballot dumps that would inexorably erode the lead. It is doubtful that the previous GOP Alaska leadership would have bothered to have a recount. So, after a patently dishonest campaign to retain RCV, it will be reassuring to have a recount witnessed by election experts from out of state.
The idea is OK but the group she selected cannot practice law in the State of Alaska. Therefore, wasted money and time. And, if she has hired them, she pays according to their contract but it doesn’t hold power at all. Carmella Warfield, quit while you are ahead. You constantly show your lack of suitability for the job you have.
The Republican Party in Alaska needs a suitable and experienced person to work the problems, instead of creating problems.
DK you are making yourself look uninformed. This is why they keep their own lawyer Stacey Stone, to do the formal representation. Go take a nap. Your hatred is exhausting your brain cells.
That was Ann Browns reign. Now we have Carmella Warfield as our AK GOP chair and she’s fantastic.
The Party should save its money. And yes I, along with most people I know, voted to keep it.
Save its money for what?
To try and compete with the millions pouring in from people that have never been to or even seen Alaska?
You must be favoring the convicted felon in jail in New York….Yeah everyone deserves a shot at representing Alaskans in DC even if they crawled out from under a rock.
National lawyer from out of state? Alaska has good lawyers. Waste of money except for the pocket books of the National experts. Spend a few nights in a great hotel and collect 10,000. What a joke.
I think that this group is part of the group of lawyers and legal experts that President Trump said will be available for election issues.
Alaska lawyers such as Scott Kendall? 🙄
Even MRAK reported that the use of RCV made no difference, so why continue to beat a dead horse? Let it go.
Let it go? No way! We’re going to keep at it until this horrible RCV system is gone, dead and buried. 😡
This whole thing is nothing but show. The problem, in Alaska, is Absentee Ballots. Until our legislature gets off it’s duff and changes the absentee rules these fiascos will continue. Here’s your list.
1. No signature verification system in place.
2. Two weeks to manufacture absentee ballots as has been done to pass and keep RCV.
3. Unlimited ballot harvesting is legal in Alaska.
Fixes
1. All absentee ballots due by election day.
2. Install signature verification system like the ones used at banks.
3. Quit mixing absentee ballots with the ballots cast early or on election day.
There’s more but this workload will exhaust our lazy lawmakers as they have only had 4 years to fix this glaring problem with Alaska’s election laws.
I agree completely with John Lund but was unable to “like” his comments. Thank you, John. I think you are the same John who grew up with our children here in College Village, Anchorage, and taught at UAA in Science for a long time. Please join our Facebook Group:”Elect Alaska Attorney General 2026” ‘https://www.facebook.com/groups/697790762401945. Are you getting sick and tired of how much Governor Dunleavy spends on filing probably up to 12-15 “Amicus Briefs,” filing three lawsuits in U.S. Supreme Court, hiring Outside Alaska Counsel who are not members, Alaska Bar Assn., at AIDEA (reportedly $750,000 recently), not to mention his gaggle of Alaska Assistant Attorneys General of which there are about 600 to do his bidding? And now, Harmeet Dhillon?
I hope we know that NO elected Alaska officeholder is required to be a member, Alaska Bar Assn. What is a joke, John, is Alaska Bar Assn.
I signed the Initiative Petition for cancellation of RCV but disagree that there should be a recount over 664 Ballots. That is an impossible hurdle, Nancy.
Mike, stop wasting money on frivolous lawsuits that are totally partisan to make yourself look good to Donald Trump. You are not going to get a big national job in the Trump Administration. Do you care at all about Alaska?
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