JUNEAU, Alaska The Alaska Supreme Court should order a new election in a state House race lost by Republican Minority Leader Lance Pruitt, his attorney argues, saying state election officials did not properly act in changing a polling location. Superior Court Judge Josie Garton recently ruled that election officials could have done more but […]
Anchorage House election decided by 11 votes heads to Alaska Supreme Court
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Print article Anchorage Superior Court Judge Josie Garton said Tuesday that she found no flaws with the way the Alaska Division of Elections counted votes in the close legislative race between incumbent state Rep. Lance Pruitt, R-Anchorage and Democratic challenger Liz Snyder. In a separate order, she also concluded that Pruitt’s attorneys failed to demonstrate that a late polling place change altered the result of the election. Snyder defeated Pruitt by 11 votes in the final, recounted result, but Pruitt launched a pair of legal challenges that dispute both the final vote count and the way the election was conducted. In both cases, Garton confirmed Snyder’s victory.
Print article Staff at the Alaska Public Offices Commission are recommending that defeated Anchorage Republican Rep. Lance Pruitt be fined at least $10,222.50 for multiple violations of state law during Alaska’s 2016 and 2018 legislative elections. Any fine must be approved by the five-member commission, which will meet Jan. 13. “Staff recommends that the Commission find that Pruitt’s 2016 and 2018 campaign for House District 27 violated provisions of AS 15.13 by failing to accurately report incurred expenditures as debt, failing to provide information detailing media advertising placement and consulting services rendered, failing to timely reimburse personal funds or report the use of personal funds as contributions, and failing to return two prohibited contributions,” says a report issued Tuesday.