A flyer received by Alaska voters from the Division of Elections shows them how to vote in the ranked-choice voting election that is coming up on Nov. 5. The flyer is one of the many expenses that have added millions of dollars to election costs in Alaska. But this informational flyer has an additional aspect that caught the attention of some: The flyer shows people how to rank in the presidential race. There are a number of made up presidential candidate names on the sample ballot. And then there’s the name “Harris.”
“Odem Harris,” to be exact. And the example given to voters to educate them on the ranked-choice process has Harris marked as the voter’s first choice.
Critics contacted Must Read Alaska and said they were surprised; it was either intentional or an example of incompetence, since there is a Harris on the ballot for president. None of the other made up names will be on the actual ballot in November.
Vice President Kamala Harris, although she was not originally nominated by the Democratic Party for president, became the de facto party nominee after President Joe Biden was exposed as being incapable of leading during his debate with Donald Trump in June. The Democrats nominated Harris formally at their August convention on Aug. 19, but had already taken the vote by email and had the delegates pinned down by Aug. 6.
