Election Law

  • State, Office of the Lieutenant Governor v. Corbisier
    ELECTION LAWSupreme Court of Alaska (2022)Alex BartlowIn State, Office of the Lieutenant Governor v. Corbisier, 522 P.3d 174 (Alaska 2022), the supremecourt reversed the lower court’s grant of a preliminary injunction preventing the Alaska Divisionof Elections from certifying election results, holding that the lower court erred in failing to considerthe general public’s interest in an ...
  • Smith v. Helzer
    ELECTION LAWUnited States District Court, District of Alaska (2022)Kristiana OlsonIn Smith v. Helzer, 2022 WL 2757421 (D. Alaska 2022), the district court denied a request toenjoin the enforcement provisions requiring disclosures for political donations. (Id. at *14). In2020, Alaskans enacted changes to the election system by ballot measure, including additionalcampaign finance disclosures. (Id. at *1). ...
  • Kohlhaas v. State
    ELECTION LAWSupreme Court of Alaska (2022)Sarah BrooksIn Kohlhaas v. State, 518 P.3d 1095 (Alaska 2022), the supreme court upheld the constitutionalityof both open primaries and ranked choice voting for general elections approved by a ballotinitiative, Initiative 2. (Id. at 1100–01). Kohlhaas argued that Initiative 2 violated free speechrights by allowing candidates to identify with a ...
  • Alaska Public Offices Commission v. Patrick
    ELECTION LAW, CONSTITUTIONAL LAW Margot Graham In Alaska Public Offices Commission v. Patrick, 494 P.3d 53 (Alaska 2021), the Alaska Supreme Court held that statutory contribution limits are unconstitutional in the context of independent expenditure groups (Id. at 60). Individual plaintiffs filed complaints with the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC), alleging that to independent expenditure groups accepted ...
  • State v. Galvin
    ELECTION LAW Sloane Bessey In State v. Galvin, 491 P.3d 325 (Alaska 2021), the supreme court held that when a preliminary injunction threatens the success of an election it should be denied to protect the public interest. (Id. at 339–40). Prior to the November 2020 general election, the Division of Elections (the Division) made the decision to ...
  • State, Office of Lieutenant Governor v. Recall Dunleavy
    ELECTION LAW Clara Nieman In State, Office of Lieutenant Governor v. Recall Dunleavy, 491 P.3d 343 (Alaska 2021), the supreme court held that (1) recall petitions are subject to a notice pleading standard and (2) a petition to recall the governor met that liberal standard. (Id. at 357, 372). Recall Dunleavy filed a recall application with the ...
  • State, Office of the Lieutenant Governor v. Arctic Village Council
    ELECTION LAW Sloane Bessey In State, Office of the Lieutenant Governor v. Arctic Village Council, 495 P.3d 313 (Alaska 2021), the supreme court held that the health concerns of the pandemic outweighed the State interests behind the witness requirement for absentee ballots in elections. (Id. at 325–26). There is an Alaska statute that requires that absentee voters ...
  • Resource Development Council for Alaska, Inc. v. Vote Yes for Alaska’s Fair Share
    ELECTION LAW Margot Graham In Resource Development Council for Alaska, Inc. v. Vote Yes for Alaska’s Fair Share, 494 P.3d 541 (Alaska 2021), the supreme court held that the statute setting the petition circulator compensation at $1 per signature was unconstitutional and, thus, the lieutenant governor properly certified the petitions collected by Vote Yes for Alaska’s Fair ...
  • Pruitt v. Office of Lieutenant Governor
    ELECTION LAW Margot Graham In Pruitt v. Office of Lieutenant Governor, 498 P.3d 591 (Alaska 2021), the supreme court held the losing House candidate failed to meet his burden to sustain an election contest claim (Id. at 608). Pruitt, a losing House candidate, sued the Division of Elections, claiming that it committed malconduct that influenced the election ...
  • State, Office of Lieutenant Governor v. Vote Yes for Alaska’s Fair Share
    ELECTION LAW Maddie Ayer In State, Office of Lieutenant Governor v. Vote Yes for Alaska’s Fair Share, 478 P.3d 679 (Alaska 2021), the supreme court held that the lieutenant governor’s summary of a ballot initiative was not true and impartial as required by law, and granted in part the lieutenant governor’s request to insert a proposed replacement ...

Election Law

  • State, Office of the Lieutenant Governor v. Corbisier
    ELECTION LAWSupreme Court of Alaska (2022)Alex BartlowIn State, Office of the Lieutenant Governor v. Corbisier, 522 P.3d 174 (Alaska 2022), the supremecourt reversed the lower court’s grant of a preliminary injunction preventing the Alaska Divisionof Elections from certifying election results, holding that the lower court erred in failing to considerthe general public’s interest in an ...
  • Smith v. Helzer
    ELECTION LAWUnited States District Court, District of Alaska (2022)Kristiana OlsonIn Smith v. Helzer, 2022 WL 2757421 (D. Alaska 2022), the district court denied a request toenjoin the enforcement provisions requiring disclosures for political donations. (Id. at *14). In2020, Alaskans enacted changes to the election system by ballot measure, including additionalcampaign finance disclosures. (Id. at *1). ...
  • Kohlhaas v. State
    ELECTION LAWSupreme Court of Alaska (2022)Sarah BrooksIn Kohlhaas v. State, 518 P.3d 1095 (Alaska 2022), the supreme court upheld the constitutionalityof both open primaries and ranked choice voting for general elections approved by a ballotinitiative, Initiative 2. (Id. at 1100–01). Kohlhaas argued that Initiative 2 violated free speechrights by allowing candidates to identify with a ...
  • Alaska Public Offices Commission v. Patrick
    ELECTION LAW, CONSTITUTIONAL LAW Margot Graham In Alaska Public Offices Commission v. Patrick, 494 P.3d 53 (Alaska 2021), the Alaska Supreme Court held that statutory contribution limits are unconstitutional in the context of independent expenditure groups (Id. at 60). Individual plaintiffs filed complaints with the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC), alleging that to independent expenditure groups accepted ...
  • State v. Galvin
    ELECTION LAW Sloane Bessey In State v. Galvin, 491 P.3d 325 (Alaska 2021), the supreme court held that when a preliminary injunction threatens the success of an election it should be denied to protect the public interest. (Id. at 339–40). Prior to the November 2020 general election, the Division of Elections (the Division) made the decision to ...
  • State, Office of Lieutenant Governor v. Recall Dunleavy
    ELECTION LAW Clara Nieman In State, Office of Lieutenant Governor v. Recall Dunleavy, 491 P.3d 343 (Alaska 2021), the supreme court held that (1) recall petitions are subject to a notice pleading standard and (2) a petition to recall the governor met that liberal standard. (Id. at 357, 372). Recall Dunleavy filed a recall application with the ...
  • State, Office of the Lieutenant Governor v. Arctic Village Council
    ELECTION LAW Sloane Bessey In State, Office of the Lieutenant Governor v. Arctic Village Council, 495 P.3d 313 (Alaska 2021), the supreme court held that the health concerns of the pandemic outweighed the State interests behind the witness requirement for absentee ballots in elections. (Id. at 325–26). There is an Alaska statute that requires that absentee voters ...
  • Resource Development Council for Alaska, Inc. v. Vote Yes for Alaska’s Fair Share
    ELECTION LAW Margot Graham In Resource Development Council for Alaska, Inc. v. Vote Yes for Alaska’s Fair Share, 494 P.3d 541 (Alaska 2021), the supreme court held that the statute setting the petition circulator compensation at $1 per signature was unconstitutional and, thus, the lieutenant governor properly certified the petitions collected by Vote Yes for Alaska’s Fair ...
  • Pruitt v. Office of Lieutenant Governor
    ELECTION LAW Margot Graham In Pruitt v. Office of Lieutenant Governor, 498 P.3d 591 (Alaska 2021), the supreme court held the losing House candidate failed to meet his burden to sustain an election contest claim (Id. at 608). Pruitt, a losing House candidate, sued the Division of Elections, claiming that it committed malconduct that influenced the election ...
  • State, Office of Lieutenant Governor v. Vote Yes for Alaska’s Fair Share
    ELECTION LAW Maddie Ayer In State, Office of Lieutenant Governor v. Vote Yes for Alaska’s Fair Share, 478 P.3d 679 (Alaska 2021), the supreme court held that the lieutenant governor’s summary of a ballot initiative was not true and impartial as required by law, and granted in part the lieutenant governor’s request to insert a proposed replacement ...