Request of Formal Investigation into “Better Elections” Ballot Initiative Signature Gathering Process

On April 15, 2020, Alaska Policy Forum sent the following letter to the Alaska Attorney General, requesting a formal investigation into the signature gathering process for ballot initiative 19AKBE, “An Act Replacing the Political Party Primary with an Open Primary System and Ranked-Choice General Election, and Requiring Additional Campaign Finance Disclosures.”

Click here to view the letter as a PDF, with the campaign disclosure form.

 

Dear Attorney General Clarkson,

As you are aware, a lawsuit was recently filed in Superior Court, alleging that state law was violated during signature gathering for ballot initiative 19OGTX, “An Act relating to the oil and gas production tax, tax payments, and tax credits.”[1]

The same out-of-state signature-gathering firm used by the sponsors of 19OGTX, Advanced Micro Targeting, was hired to gather signatures in Alaska for another important ballot measure, 19AKBE, “An Act Replacing the Political Party Primary with an Open Primary System and Ranked-Choice General Election, and Requiring Additional Campaign Finance Disclosures.” See attached financial disclosures.

While the State of Alaska certified the signatures for 19AKBE in March, the validity of those signatures is now understandably also in question.

Elections are sacred, and it is important for government to show its due diligence in maintaining the integrity of the process. A shadow has now been cast over the signature-gathering processes used by Advanced Micro Targeting. Alaskans are questioning whether an initiative that will appear on their ballots was certified with signatures that were collected in violation of state law.

We therefore respectfully request that the state launch a formal investigation into whether state law was broken during signature gathering for ballot initiative 19AKBE, “An Act Replacing the Political Party Primary with an Open Primary System and Ranked-Choice General Election, and Requiring Additional Campaign Finance Disclosures.”

It is imperative that your office determine as soon as possible if there was violation of the law.

 

Sincerely,

 

Bethany L. Marcum

Executive Director

 

Attachment

cc: Lieutenant Governor Kevin Meyer

 

[1] https://www.alaskapublic.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/RDC-et-al.-v.-Meyer-et-al.-Complaint-for-Declaratory-Relief.pdf