Alaska Democratic Party is threatening to sue the Division of Elections over a correction flyer that the division intends to send to House District 15 voters.
The correction is to fix the problem found on Page 19 of the printed version of the voter election pamphlet, published before every state election.
On Page 19, the pamphlet lists Republican Mia Costello as a Democrat, when she is in fact, a lifelong Republican. In another location in the pamphlet, her party is correctly listed.
In a letter to Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher, the Democrats’ executive director says that any communication to the district must also include the names and parties of the other candidates, both of whom are Democrats.
“From news reports, we have learned about a proposal to correct one error on page 19 that identifies Mia Costello as a Democrat, even though she is correctly identified as a Republican on her candidate profile on page 69. Any partiality in communications to one candidate by the Division of Elections would be an infringement on each of the candidate’s right to fair treatment, leading to claims of discrimination and bias a potentially causing additional voter confusion. Such paid communication from the State of Alaska would amount to the State inappropriately advertising directly in favor of one candidate in a contested State House race,” wrote Lindsey Kavanaugh of the Democratic Party.
Kavanaugh said the other candidates need to be listed on any correction sent to the district — or else.
“Any postcards or other official communications that fail to provide equal and unbiased coverage to these candidates will undermine the integrity of our electoral process and potentially expose the State to legal action,” Kavanaugh threatened.
Huh? In order to justly make a correction to a pretty significant boo-boo, one also has to list all the errors one DIDN’T make?
Division of Elections should remove the name “Harris” from RCV materials and replace with Minnie Mouse! Such incompetence and no one is held responsible!