by Melissa S. Green | Based on video originally posted at Alaska Commons

Melissa S. Green of Bent Alaska and Linda Kellen Biegel of The Mudflats were were the guests last week of Alaska Commons for an hour-long on-camera discussion of issues surrounding the botched April 3, 2012 Anchorage municipal election. Alaska Commons posted video from the discussion last Friday; we repost it here, with some additional commentary.

Last week, Linda Kellen Biegel of The Mudflats and I  joined John Aronno, Kokayi Nosakhere, and Joshua Spring of Alaska Commons for an hour-long on-camera discussion of issues surrounding the botched April 3, 2012 Anchorage municipal election.

I first came to know Alaska Commons by way of its founders, John and Heather Aronno, who I met on June 5, 2009, as AO-64, the Anchorage Equal Rights Ordinance, approached its summer blockbuster run in the Anchorage Assembly. John and Heather helped keep me sane through that harrowing summer, and have remained since two of the best examples of the words “straight allies and friends” that I can bring to mind. They are also possessed of first-class, deepthinking minds, which shows into their approach to matters political as they appear on the Alaska Commons of today. This is reflected in the description of Alaska Commons’ purpose on its “About Us” page, which reads, in part,

Our goal, as Alaska Commons, is to shed light on local stories and topics left to the dark, where they are often left in silence or labeled bogeymen or taboo.

As it exists now, John and Heather are joined on Alaska Commons by a varied and talented staff of contributors, two of whom — Kokayi Nosakhere, and Joshua Spring  — joined John Aronno in asking Linda and I about what we’ve learned over the past many months about the botched, bollixed, bungled — and possibly corrupted — April 3 Anchorage municipal election.

Besides happening to be bloggers, Linda and I are both members of the 10-voter Recount Group, which sought and observed the hand recount (conducted in May) of 15 precincts in the botched election.  The Alaska Commoners (as I’ve come to call them) were also interested in the relationship between election issues in general and the religious tax exemption irregularities of the Anchorage Baptist Temple — a story I broke on Bent Alaska in August 2011.

Among the questions in the April 3 election was the (apparent) reelection of Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan and the defeat of Proposition 5, the Anchorage Equal Rights Initiative, which had it passed would have provided equal protection from discrimination under Anchorage’s equal rights code to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender residents and visitors. Also at issues were several school board seats and several bond propositions — all of which passed, contrary to the usual mixed bag of results on bond propositions in Anchorage elections.  (As I’ve heard from other people, many skeptical of this election’s official results, “Anchorage went socially conservative, but fiscally liberal? That in itself seems suspicious.”)

That’s enough set up for the video itself, so — other than providing a brief summary of what each part is about, and links to articles with background information (but, caveat, far from comprehensive) — I’ll let it speak for itself.

Part 1

Discussion of election irregularities begining with Election Day, April 3, 2012 — in particular about misinformation about voter registration deadlines sent out by Jim Minnery and precincts running out of ballots.

Watch:

Background: Jim Minnery of the Alaska Family Council

• 4 Apr 2012. “Another few laps: Reports of Prop 5′s demise are premature (& proof Minnery knew he was spreading false information)” by Melissa S. Green (Bent Alaska). (Also published at LGBTQ Nation.)
• 4 Apr 2012. “Yesterday’s Election Shenanigans” by Steve Aufrecht (What Do I Know?).
• 4 Apr 2012. “Victory Reflections and Humble Pie” by Jim Minnery (email to Protect Your Rights mailing list, 4:33:32 PM AKDT).
• 9 Apr 2012. “Anchorage’s April 3 election: Some answers, many more questions” by Melissa S. Green.

Background: Precincts running out of ballots

• 4 Apr 2012. “Election 2012 Gone Wild: The Saga at Precinct 830″ by Linda Kellen Biegel (The Mudflats).
• 5 Apr 2012. “Situation Normal in Alaska – Complete Election Disaster” by Jeanne Devon writing as AKMuckraker (The Mudflats).
• 25 Apr 2012. Assembly Memorandum AM 2012-231: “Certification of Regular Municipal Election of April 3, 2012″ by Municipal Election Commission.
• 25 Apr 2012.“Commission recommends no further inquiry into election: Assembly chairman, ACLU and overseer still want it reviewed” by Kyle Hopkins (Anchorage Daily News).
• 2 Jul 2012. “Hensley Report on Election Now Available – Form Over Substance” by Steve Aufrecht (What Do I Know?).

Part 2

How the 15-precinct precinct recount, conducted in May 2012, came about.

Watch:

Background: 15-precinct recount

• 3 May 2012. “Anchorage election: Former election coordinator calls for full handcount; voters file for handcount & audit” by Melissa S. Green (Bent Alaska).
• 22 May 2012. Assembly Memorandum AM 314-2012. Recertification of the Regular Municipal Election of April 3 2012 by the Anchorage Municipal Election Recount Board. Includes three exhibits: (A) Precinct Recount; (B) Election Summary Report; (C) Precinct Register Counts.
• 22 May 2012. “Anchorage election: 10-voter Recount Group to prepare findings on recount problems, many which have been ignored” by Melissa S. Green (Bent Alaska).
• 15 Jun 2012. “New Report on Botched Anchorage Election Says City Broke its Own Election Laws” by Jason Lamb (KTUU Channel 2 News).
• 19 Jun 2012. “Recount Team Meets with the Anchorage Assembly” by Linda Kellen Biegel (The Mudflats).

Note: The latter two posts have documents from the Recount Team’s report, but we have yet to finalize it, thanks to burnout.  We’re on it.

Part 3

Lack of opportunities in Anchorage Assembly to offer public testimony, cost of public records requests. Months after the election, 141 “potentially uncounted” ballots found. Election fatigue. Jeanne Friedman’s report showing that ballots were distributed to the various precincts in inequitable ways, possibly intentionally. Chapel by the Sea.

Watch:

Background: Lack of public testimony

• 4 May 2012. “Election Commissioner and Poll Worker Clash at Assembly Meeting – ‘That’s a lie!’” by Jeanne Devon (The Mudflats).

Background: Months after the election, 141 “potentially uncounted ballots” discovered

• 17 Jul 2012. “Uncounted Ballots: A New Can Of Worms” by Linda Kellen Biegel (The Mudflats). Reposted at Bent Alaska.

Background: Inequitable distribution of ballots to precincts — possibly by intent

• 22 Jul 2012. Comparison of Official Municipal Election Reports by Jeanne Friedman. Emailed to Anchorage Assembly 22 Jul 2012.
• 22 Jul 2012. “Muni Played Favorites With Ballots” by Linda Kellen Biegel (The Mudlfats). Reposted with intro and reference list at Bent Alaska.

Part 4

Anchorage Baptist Temple and taxes, Jerry Prevo’s red herrings. How to fix things? — rewriting Anchorage’s election code; be part of the 50 percent plus 1.

Watch:

Background: Anchorage Baptist Temple and taxes

• 29 Aug 2012. “Prevo divorce documents raise ‘loosey-goosey’ questions about Anchorage Baptist Temple house” by Melissa S. Green (Bent Alaska).
• 15 Jan 2012. “Inquiry targets Anchorage Baptist Temple tax exemptions —REV. JERRY PREVO: Did staff members acquire equity in baptist temple-owned homes?” by Richard Mauer (Anchorage Daily News).
• 29 Feb 2012. “Anchorage Baptist Temple prepares to enter Prop 5 debate, as tax assessor’s investigation continues” by Melissa S. Green (Bent Alaska).
• 15 Jul 2012. “Baptist Temple owes $61,000, assessor says —Homes of two church pastors aren’t exempt from taxes” by Richard Mauer (Anchorage Daily News).
• 16 Jul 2012. “Assessor concludes Prevo’s home is exempt from city taxes — Residence of Baptist Temple’s chief pastor remains exempt” by Richard Mauer (Anchorage Daily News).
• 16 Jul 2012. “How to eat red herring, or, Prevo’s response to the MOA tax assessor ruling” by Melissa S. Green (Bent Alaska).
• 3 Aug 2012 (forthcoming). News report from KTUU Channel 2 News and blog post from Bent Alaska on today’s report to the Assembly’s Municipal Audit Committee by Municipal tax assessor. This post will be updated with links when they become available.

Background: How to fix things

• 15 Jul 2012. “Citizen Group on Election Meeting Now with Assembly Attorney” by Steve Aufrecht (What Do I Know?).
• 15 Jun 2012. “New Report on Botched Anchorage Election Says City Broke its Own Election Laws” by Jason Lamb (KTUU Channel 2 News).
• 19 Jun 2012. “Recount Team Meets with the Anchorage Assembly” by Linda Kellen Biegel (The Mudflats).

Thank you to Alaska Commons for hosting and preparing the show. I look forward to future episodes of Alaska Commons TV.

References

• 27 Jul 2012. “The Botched Election” (Alaska Commons).