Ballot Battle: Judge Rebuffs Division of Undemocratic Elections
The Alaska Division of Undemocratic Elections almost got away with it.
The Alaska Division of Undemocratic Elections just got a swift lesson in the limits of its own power.
Anchorage Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews ruled today that Petersburg Dan Sullivan, a retired teacher from - you guessed it - Petersburg, must be placed back on the primary ballot in the U.S. Senate race. The judge's decision is a direct rejection of the state's stupid ploy to determine Petersburg Dan Sullivan's motive as a candidate.
The Alaska Division of Undemocratic Elections yanked the Petersburg resident from the ballot under the assertion that his campaign was a bad-faith stunt designed to "trick" voters who might mistake him for incumbent Republican Senator Dan "Ohio" Sullivan. The state argued it was protecting ballot integrity, but really, they were running cover for their preferred MAGA candidate while trampling on Petersburg Dan Sullivan's constitutional rights.
Matthew Beck
Judge Matthews's ruling makes clear that Alaska Division of Undemocratic Elections Director, Carol Beecher (a registered Alaska Republican), does not have the legal authority to wave a magic wand and POOF - disqualify a candidate based on her own assessment of a candidate's motives. Under the law, if a candidate meets the objective constitutional requirements, such as age and residency, they are eligible to run. The state cannot simply invent new rules to rig an election.
Quick sidebar - if you want to know who the Dunleavy administration enlisted to argue its case this week in front of Judge Thomas Matthews, it was the same Colorado law firm that corrupted a bunch of nuns - First & Fourteenth.
Anywhoo, the state is up against a tight deadline to begin printing ballots by Tuesday. Expect the Alaska Division of Undemocratic Elections to hustle off to the Alaska Supreme Court for an emergency appeal to try to undo the judge’s ironclad and sometimes spicy ruling.
