Mat-Su Borough Assembly denies District 7 election challenge

Acting on the recommendation of Borough Attorney Nicholas Spiropoulos , the Mat-Su Borough Attorney denied the election challenge filed by Mat-Su Borough Assembly candidate Doyle Holmes. Spiropoulos says that Holmes was not able to prove bias in the election based on extraordinary steps taken by the borough clerk after Talkeetna’s voting machine reportedly malfunctioned on election day. Holmes’ opponent, Randall Kowalke, won the Talkeetna precinct by a wide margin.

According to the report prepared by the borough attorney, Houston Municipal Clerk Sonya Dukes from Talkeetna Elementary School to the City of Houston transported ballots from the Talkeetna voting machine. Borough Clerk Lonnie McKechnie  and Deputy Clerk Julie Newman met Dukes in Houston with a functioning machine and processed the ballots.

Doyle Holmes’ election challenge states that borough code requires that sealed ballots be in possession of no fewer than two people at any given time. While that is true, the code also states that the borough clerk may give other instructions. Borough Attorney Spiropoulos says there is no indication that the ballots were tampered with, and cited Alaska Supreme Court cases setting a high bar for throwing out votes made by qualified voters due to circumstances outside of their control.

After the presentation of the report by the borough attorney, Randall Kowalke, who was the winner of the District 7 election, was allowed to speak. He expressed remorse that the integrity of the borough clerk and election officials had been impugned by the challenge. Doyle Holmes was also afforded a chance to speak, but was not present at the meeting.

The Borough Assembly adopted the attorney’s report, denied Doyle Holmes’ election challenge, and certified the District 7 race. There is a ten day window in which Holmes is allowed to file a legal challenge. Randall Kowalke is set to take office next Monday.