The Anchorage Assembly is preparing to approve a new process for election observers that cuts the Anchorage Election Commission out of the complaint process altogether.
The Election Commission is a five-member commission appointed by the mayor and approved by the Assembly. It is staffed by the Municipal Clerk’s office, which also conducts elections. The Election Commission adjudicates ballots that have been preliminarily rejected by election officials, reviews and reports on the election results to the Assembly, provides advice on the conduct of local elections, and recommends changes to local law relating to elections.
But according to the new process being developed by the Assembly, there will be very little oversight by the commission on local elections in Anchorage. The fox, instead, be will be guarding the henhouse.
It’s about control of the election: The Assembly, whose members are also usually candidates, oversees the work of the Municipal Clerk, who is in charge of the elections. If someone has a challenge to a ballot or process, there will be no third party outside of the Assembly hierarchy to take that challenge to. Instead, complaints can be taken to the Ombudsman, who also happens to report to the Assembly.
The public at large cannot challenge parts of the election unless they are official election observers, which requires training. In the past, they could go up the chain and if they disagreed with the Clerk’s decision, they could appeal to the Election Commission.
The commission’s current membership includes two former lieutenant governors — Loren Leman and Mead Treadwell, who are both experienced in election matters. Lisa Torkelson is chair, and Glennis Ireland and Adam Trombley are also members.
During last week’s Assembly work session, Treadwell told the Assembly that they were removing one of the main roles of the Election Commission.
The Assembly has made similar moves to remove power from the mayoral-appointed Library Board, and the Assembly is also working on taking away the power from the Executive Branch when it comes to appointing the city’s Chief Medical Officer, which the Assembly wants to control. It’s a way to strip power from the mayor’s office, piece by piece.
The Assembly will be voting on its new election regulations during Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting, which starts at 5 pm at the Loussac Library’s ground floor meeting room.
More information at this link.
Related documents:
AR 2023-423_1_OBSERVER HANDBOOK EDITS_FINAL.DOCX.DOCX
AR 2023-423_2_OBSERVER AMP X27 S HANDBOOK UPDATE V4_REDLINE_WITH FORMS.PDF.PDF
AR 2023-423_3_ OBSERVER AMP X27 S HANDBOOK UPDATE V4_CLEAN_WITH FORMS.PDF.PDF
AR 2023-423_4_AM FOR AR.DOCX.DOCX
AR 2023-423_5_AIM_COMPILATION OF RESEARCH_CODES_CONTESTS AND JUDICIAL REVIEWS.DOC.DOC
AR 2023-423_6_ORDINANCES FOR OTHER CITIES AND BOROUGHS – ELECTION CONTESTS AND JUDICAL REVIEW.DOCX
And yet, when things aren’t the way an Anchorage resident wants, the default is “that darn mayor” screwing it all up. Hello? He has less and less power every month. All vetos are overridden. Yes, ALL.
And yet, because undisclosed financial backers have placed billboards advertising the mayor’s incompetence, people will believe the mayor makes all the bad decisions. So maybe having the fox guard the henhouse will only be insurance if people wake up and vote the assembly out.
It’s the same as people who blame the President for everything at the federal level. No one understands how our system of government works; most people just want a king to tell them what to do.
Dont forget the mayors negligence in allowing record heavy snowfall conditions hampering the Texan’s ability to keep schools in session.
How long were schools closed during covid???
Oh wait that was before Mayor Bronsons term so I guess they cant bash him for that as well and call that incompetence on his part anyway…
Can’t vote them out when they own the election process.
We are on our way to looking and being Seattle under the current democrats leadership. I don’t blame you conservatives, republicans, and democrats who have already sold Anchorage homes last two years and bailed on us. You take away election integrity and you left with corrupt leaders who can’t be held accountable and they are serving until death.
Check with US Constitution?
Just WHEN will the AK State Constitution be able to cancel out the illegal propositions of the Anchorage Assembly? They’re changing our voting laws, and how we can correct the illegal actions that the Anchorage Assembly has been operating under. They’ve been destroying Anchorage by their illegal actions.. It has been proven recently that our election process has been violated by illegal operations.
Anything in conflict with the US Constitution is void for effect from inception. Donald Trump said he was returning the power of the republic back to the people. He assembled more military brass than is seen typically at inaugerations. He proceeded to begin to do all that he could in four years to accomplish it. Our part is to ask using legislative processes for all usurpations and inquiries.
Just stop with the pretense. Only progressives are dumb enough to buy the crap the Politburo sells.
It is revealing, however. Progressives and democrats (assuming a difference) yack endlessly about “our democracy” yet they hate the process.
More, they don’t trust the voters they claim to champion.
If they did, they wouldn’t be endlessly rigging the system.
To be heard and decided by application of the US Constitution. using Alaskans adopted Rulebook Mason’s Manual to invoke those legislative inquiries. we must use the process that is due. No one knows how to claim and assert the legislative inquiries. it’s spelled out In Mason’s manual. They are bringing them in other states. Idaho for one. With the equal footing doctrine application these cases can be assisted by the stare decisis game. The Supreme Court is hearing and overturning prior decisions not in accord with the US Constitution. Snowball picks up speed. perhaps we’ll see some of these decisions in AK.
Yes in 20 years. Bell bottoms just finally went out of style here.
Good little Communist gathering all the power and herding the ignorant Sheeple along. Soon they’ll only lack the power of execution and are probably already working on that.
Isn’t this called insubordination in a different venue?
Job security and tyranny control for the wokies. Wokies, not Wookies – the Wookies are on our side…
Wookie Power!
Pathetic. They will stop at nothing to make the rest of the world hate themselves like the left hates themselves !
The Mayor can hardly make a move anymore without okay from ” the assembly” of perverted nazi’s since everything he comes up with is vetoed or slammed by leftist media( anchorage daily lies). Now you don’t even hide your stuff anymore lol.
Eh, that doesn’t look likely, especially if the election commission are stripped of their duties. Oh thanks, Assembly. They are now in complete power until the people of Anchorage rise up. Hopefully soon, but don’t hold your breath, you’ll turn blue. It’s not bad enough yet!
As for being an “ observer” wink wink, straight, white, people with kids or adults without cartoon colored hair need not apply.
Anchorage residents better wake up soon. If this election scrutiny system is done away with, Anchorage residents will have to live with the whatever /whomever the Assembly wants voted in. They try to blame everything on the Mayor, yet as stated above, but they have overridden all his vetoes. In my opinion, all Anchorage’s issues evolve around the one sided Assembly and their running of the City. Now, they want to control the elections issues????? Guess they don’t want to be voted out in the future!
I don’t see how this can be. Certainly there should be a mechanism that an official could use to stop this abuse of power. Because that is exactly what it is.
The city’s problems have worsened under the leadership of the assembly, not the mayor. Anyone with a brain can see that. Unfortunately some folks don’t have one. And ADN hit pieces don’t help.
Where are the checks and balances???
They rest with the citizens of Anchorage. The voting citizens of Anchorage approve since they keep re electing the same cast of idiots.
Anchorage has the government Anchorage deserves.
Can you provide proof that these people were elected in a fair election? Show me the evidence. Sounds different coming from a different direction, huh ? Prove to us that our votes were not disposed of when there is no security to prevent this. Or just maybe you are right and few bother to vote. Prove it. Renew my confidence in the integrity of the system and I will help you condemn the voters of Alaska. Or should I say the non-voters.
Remember liberals, it isn’t conservatives who steal your PFD’s. Pretty soon, these aholes will be coming for your guns. I actually welcome any liberal to try.
The assembly is a reflection of the idiots who vote for them. Maybe. They tampered with the votes in 2020. They’ll do it again in 2024. What is the GOP doing to prevent it? Why are we not hearing anything outside this site?
I’m sick and tired of having to navigate Anchorage’s crappy roads, ever-present crime and homelessness, high property taxes and underperforming school system. All while the degenerates in the Assembly pursue their petty quests.
Get rid of RCV, Outside campaign donations and mail-in balloting (unless it’s for servicemembers or people who are working out of the country). Then maybe, just maybe, the people in the Alaska will get the leadership that reflects their wants and needs.
It would be more honest if the Politburo just announced effective such and such date, the citizens will elected (fill in the blank) mayor.
Actual submission of votes not required.
The dots are so close together now, people can’t help but trip over them. But many still can’t connect them. Sycophant sheep being led to the totalitarian slaughter.
At least the Assembly children have the ability to learn from all the changes made prior to the 2020 election which yielded huge gains in their favor.
Now that they have gained the power of controlling the counting process lets take it up to the next level of controlling the question ballots where strangely enough conservatives dont have the ability to sign their name properly on their ballot (covid caused lots of side effects)…. It just doesnt match what we have on file but we will give you an opportunity to correct your signature on file in time for the next election
Only if your vote wasn’t presorted to the circular file already. Problem is registering under a preferred party, which is public knowledge in our state. Makes sorting easier.
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