The Alaska Division of Elections is an absolute unmitigated disaster on every front. On accountability, on transparency, on communication, and on record keeping. Watching the video where they point the camera at the computer screen as they push the magic button to see who wins, is as laughable as it is gets.
If there is one more good thing to come out of Trump’s recent victory it has been to make safe the question “Where did the left’s random 12 million votes go from 2020?” That’s a lot of votes… like every man, woman and child in the entire state of Ohio, or everyone in Alaksa, SEVENTEEN TIMES over. Oh right, fraudulent mail-in balloting was humongously curtailed in most states, though that didn’t stop Democrat Bureaucrats from counting fake ballots in Pennsylvania until their Supreme Court stepped in to say “knock it off” and threaten jail time.
I see many, MANY concerned patriots asking for a recount, but you do not understand the methodology of the swamp’s fraud.
ALASKA WATCHMAN DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX
You see, on election night, very important information is learned. For example “We are down by 2400 votes…”
Enter Mail-In Ballots, mailed out and mailed back and then adjudicated with little or no oversight. I did a ton of work for you, here is the link to an excel spreadsheet that is an in-depth analysis of outcomes for Ballot Measure 2 and the Race for Congress. It strains the most credulity. According to DOE data, almost 20,000 people chose to take the time to vote, and yet didn’t feel obliged to state whether they were for or against Ballot Measure 2? You expect anyone to believe that 20,000 registered voters in Alaska are so agnostic on this issue, they couldn’t be bothered to fill in the oval?
Then there is the extra precinct. Apparently there is a precinct where people get to vote for our president and lone member of congress, but not our Ballot Measures… and that precinct put up 400 ballots. Look at the state website right now. As of November 21st it’s right there in the precincts reporting totals on the ENR website. Same place I got the POST November 20th election spreadsheet. While up to my armpits in the data, I also noticed JBER votes swung very differently against Ballot Measure 2 than they should have. Perhaps 12 million dollars of lies over the airwaves (that ought to be illegal and prosecuted) had their desired effect. Good thing Ballot Measure 2 got Dark Money out of politics. Thanks Mike Porcaro.
There is so much cloak and dagger behavior at the Division of Elections, it is high time someone ran for Lieutenant Governor with the same “Drain the Swamp” campaign slogan and commitment as Trump is bringing to the Swamp in DC, but for Juneau and the division of elections in General. It is totally opaque by design, and the only way you fix a lack of trust is with transparency. Why do you think there IS NONE?
If I was lieutenant governor, the first thing I would do is delete the entire Alaska active voter registration list immediately. Historical data stays, but precisely ZERO humans registered to vote. You want to do your civic duty, wonderful, spend five minutes registering to vote sometime in the next two years.
The second thing I would do is begin the process of moving Alaska’s vote onto a blockchain that would also secure your PFD and state information. These security breaches are an embarrassment and proof that doing things like it’s 2005, when it’s almost 2025 in ludicrous. And every one of you troglodytes out there who instantly say “the problem is them damn computers” can go fly a kite. Comparing the Midnight Protocol and the Cardano eUTXO ecosystem to a computer makes as much sense as comparing the cash vault at First National Bank to the tool shed behind your house because they’re both “locked.” Or saying you’re as safe in your ice fishing hut as a former missile silo converted into a home because they both have a “door.” Enough of this ignoramus garbage. Get educated. Sorry you have to learn a little. You ought to be able to vote, know your vote was counted, and then YOU choose whether you want to share who you voted for, or the city you live in, or your age… or whatever… or most importantly NOT share that information. Zero Knowledge Proofs and solutions like this will ONLY come from an outsider who wants to leave a legacy of transparency, and not another swamp creature from the left or within the GOP who’s been ordained and promises to carry the torch and keep up the good-old-boy network that greases ALL the bearings in this totally corrupt state alive and well.
The fact that almost everyone I know over 50 knows more about gapping a sparkplug than they do the blockchain technology that WILL run the entire world within a decade is just asinine. You folks are like the meatheads in the mid-nineties talking about how ridiculous email is when stamps work JUST FINE and you get to hold the letter in your sweaty little hands.
Alaska can and must do better. Our elections should NOT opaque and be hiding from scrutiny. Every polling place and counting office could be televised online for months for a fraction of what we waste spraying hydroseed on the bare gravel three times during every road project. Pick your poison, this state blows through money like a pothead through a bag of cheetos. They won’t stop until you take it away.
It’s time to do better. There is NO statute limiting how often a repeal effort can be established. So let’s get the repeal of Ranked Choice Voting ON the ballot again, and call it what it is this time, instead of using the language of the opposition, removal of open primaries. Gag me. Shall Ranked Choice Voting be Repealed?
It should have been. We have work to do…
30 Comments
Awesome article. Thank you so much. Want to run for office?
Right on! Go for it! Time past for transparency.
Shelia your uncle dunleavy is in on this fraud and you have some splaynen to do! SEEMS TO ME THERES SOME JAIL TIME NEEDED FOR DUNLEAVY AND DALHSTROM!
I’d stand by that for sure!
Excellent commentary Jake. Thank you for talking about this. Phil Izon with 907Honest at 907Honest.com is working on get a volunteer team together to work on getting rid of ranked (rigged) choice voting. Last I heard, he still needs people to be sponsors for the initiative (I think that is what it is called) to get another petition going to get rid of rcv. He needed 100 signatures and I am not sure how many he has currently. Everyone, please get involved with this. We are going to have to overwhelm the system next time so that the rats cannot steal it again. Go to 907Honest.com to sign up!
Thank you Janice, I went to the website to sign up.
THANK YOU! It is so wonderful to see a sane article about what is going on in our election system. People who are jumping on board with the 50% myth and ‘we’ll get them next time’ mantra really need to wake up.
This is well written and wonderfully researched to say the very least. Libbey for Gov!
Please run of Lt. Gov. Jake! Alaska has the dirtiest voter rolls of all the US states. I brought this to the attention to Lt. Gov Dahlstrom but of course, nothing was done or acted upon. Same with Gov. Dunleavy. I don’t think a recount will do anything. It must be an audit.
Outstanding article!
Agree with you Patricia. My understanding is a recount simply counts the same ballots whether they are fraudulent or not.
I appreciate the hope being sold of overwhelming the vote and getting this repealed in a future election. People need to understand that this strategy does NOT work: Trump’s overwhelming 2024 vote count is being metered away to probably land at 50% or slightly less….with around 2 million votes still being counted as of November 20. With all the extra, and I believe real, votes in 2024, he is only around 2 million more votes than 2020 – that alone is at least as suspicious as the disappearing Biden voters from 2020 but no on is talking about it.
The reality is that down ballot votes are likely being reallocated around the country and elections like Alaska are seeing a drifting left/uni-party state legislature, no repeal of RCV, and MAGA warriors like David Eastman being taken out.
If we want a realistic solution/proof of fraud, we need to activate people to do on the ground canvassing to show if there are fraudulent voters on the rolls. In the process, we also need to survey voters to ask how they voted on RCV and if they trust our elections. This is something citizens can organize and we need to get started immediately. If people don’t want to answer the questions, that is fine but get a reading on how many people actually do say they voted.
JAKE/JOEL; Are you interested in trying to help coordinating an effort like this?
https://www.cookpolitical.com/vote-tracker/2024/electoral-college
There was an effort to do canvassing, but only a handful of people signed up to help. It is all talk in this state. If you are interested in a grassroots group to get involved in, go sign up at causeofamerica.org and they will forward your information to the correct group here in Alaska. We have to have people to do things, but it always is the same little groups here and there.
I guess a surrender point on this ought to happen. That is get the repeal on the next ballot! BUT DAMNIT IT PISSES ME OFF THAT WE AREN’T COLLECTIVELY RAMING DUNLEAVY AND DALHSTROMS DOORS IN! DEMANDING ANSWERS (TRUTH), EVEN JAIL TIME FOR THESE TWO FRAUDS! ENOUGH OF THE PEOPLE LOOKING LIKE BARNEY FIFE FUMBLING THERE PISTOL, INCAPABLE OF SECURLEY HOLSTERING IT!
Dave, I am surprised that, at this point, they have not explained what is going on with this muddy mess and what they are doing to clean it up. They should be held accountable. But, maybe Alaska is in Trump’s sights since he did not choose Dunleavy to be on his team.
alot on Trumps plate! we best learn immediately how to demand our voice be heard and truthfully responded to! I’m now advocating we begin to act more like Maxine waters. AS FAR AS DUNLEAVY,DALHSTROM, SMOLDEN, AND ALL THE LEGISLATORS! GET IN THEIR FACE! DO NOT LET THEM SEEK OUT PLACES OF REFUGE! DEMAND ANSWERS! ” NOT MY FAULT ” IS NO LONGER AN ACCEPTABLE ANSWER!
Dave, I am listening to the 9-6-2022 MSB Borough Assembly Regular mtg right niw. I just heard your testimony in getting rid of the machines. Powerful testimony. 99.99% of the people wanted just hand counting. And yet…the assembly chose to get some “counter” machines connected to computers and made the hand counters use them to “count” how many ballots each borough precinct had. There are, at least 3 borough assembly members that are not interested in working for the people and they influence the rest of the members. The assembly members seats are sitting up too high – looking down on us is getting to them because they forget that they work for us.
yes Janice I know first hand what a government ego is capable of! WE THE PEOPLE are not longer in control of anything! WE THE PEOPLE are no longer run by a representative constitutional government! WE THE PEOPLE have willingly surrendered our God given rights! WE THE PEOPLE are acting like the loosers we’ve become! STANDING FOR SOMETHING WAS THE CHARACTER OF THOSE WHO GAVE US THIS GREAT NATION! STANDING WHILE STARING IN DISBELIEF AS TO WHAT IS HAPPENING TO US IS DISHEARTENING AND HAS COLLECTIVELY DRAINED THE VISION AND COURAGE OUT OF US! WE HAVE BECOME WHAT THE PROPHET ISAIAH DECLARED IN HIS BOOK CHAPTER 59 VERSE 14: A PEOPLE WHO LONG FOR JUSTICE, BUT WILL NEVER SEE IT! WHY, BECAUSE WE DONT HAVE THE COURAGE TO SPEAK TRUTH IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE!
While I certainly agree that our elections are an embarrassment, I think introducing more complexity and more technology is a dangerous idea. I’ve worked for decades in IT security, and I’ve considered different blockchain applications applied to elections, and there is simply no scenario where it doesn’t introduce more problems than solutions. Any electronic system is going to be more hackable and more open to tampering than physical ballots and human counting. And I’m talking about the best case scenario with a highly qualified team of trustworthy security professionals and programmers, but we both know that won’t be the case when government gets its hands on it. Relevant study to consider: https://people.csail.mit.edu/rivest/pubs/PSNR20.pdf
In my opinion, we need to go in the opposite direction entirely. Make it as simple as possible with human counted paper ballots, ID required, in person voting only. I agree we need to clean up the voter registration list, and raise the bar for registration. Raise the bar to qualify for an absentee ballot as well and require in-person applications when possible. Assign each ballot a random ID and tear off stub with that ID for the voter to take home, and publish results online so we can see that our ballot ID was counted for the candidates we voted for (this can be automated as it is not the official count, but a check against the official manual count). I understand that it isn’t perfect, but it is simple and minimizes the potential for fraud without introducing the massive attack vectors of digitally managed systems, including those using blockchain technology. And yes, when it comes to security, physical mail is more secure than email by a long shot. I’ll go fly a kite now.
I’m under 50, and I have no idea what a block chain is.
That being said, hand counting ballots with in-person oversight will always be more transparent than trusting a machine and/or a program/facet of technology to count and verify.
People can be dishonest, machines/programs/technology can be manipulated. But if I’m looking over Karen’s shoulder while she’s counting ballots, I can see if she’s being honest or dishonest. I can’t tell what a machine/program/technology is doing. And that’s not just a matter of not learning enough or being lazy because I won’t take the time to DuckDuckGo “block chain.” ANYbody can look over someone’s should while they’re counting ballots, but it does take a particular type of knowledge to verify whether or not a machine/program/technology is functioning properly/without error or manipulation.
And if transparency is key to honest elections, then human beings should be working together, not interfacing with technology.
I don’t have a kite to fly, but I’ll follow my six year old’s example and grab a plastic bag and some yarn and join you, John.
Great article and I agree with all. I do l ow of two first time voters that did not hear or register the message to turn their ballot over and vote on both sides so they did not vote on the ballot measures. I wonder how many missed that as well.
I don’t trust the voting system anymore
I was liking this article until I got to the part where people over 50, like myself, are called asinine and meatheads.
I was also left wondering at the comment, “And every one of you troglodytes”. Who does the author think is reading this article? I was under the impression that the Alaska Watchman was a conservative website. I’m a conservative Christian which is why I have liked The Alaska Watchman.
Edit:
I actually agree with this article. The name calling was just off putting.
Agreed. Insults aren’t proving any point or winning any votes. Stick to the facts and less temper tantrums.
Our son Vaughn is a number cruncher and had his own stats as well as Jake Libby’s spreadsheet. From 900 votes ahead on Sunday evening (11/17), which was day 12 after the election to 200 behind on Monday night, day 13,…then on (11/20) the end of counting, we lost by 664. That was a huge margin change in the last three days of counting. The longer this voting was allowed to go on, the less trustworthy the results were for the voters. At worst the supporters of RCV used the 12 days after election day to illegally gather the necessary additional votes to overcome their opponents election day lead of several thousand. At best, this delay gave the appearance of such tactics, even if they were not actually used. Either way, the Alaskan election system is untrustworthy and needs many changes in order to be trusted again.
I have them same thought process: the longer it takes for “certification” the greater the chance for fraud.
I’ve no trust in any system that doesn’t produce results within 3 days.
The two week delay is designed for cheating. A few facts to chew on.
1. Before 2020 the absentee ballots followed the election day reslults with no more than a 3% deviation.
2. There is no signature verification system for the Alaskan absentee voter.
3. There is no limit to the number of ballots a third party can harvest.
4. Anyone who requests a PFD Dividend check is registered to vote.
5. If I know your name and any of the five identifiers (birthday, SSN, ect) I can request an absentee ballot for you. Think non-voters.
That should be enough for now to overwork the Juneau Vegetable Patch (Legislature_)
Insulting your own readers… Makes me wonder who’s going to the whipping boy when the libs are gone? People over 50? Those of us who aren’t block chain programmers?
Are you going to offer a class to share your vast knowledge of Blockchain with the rest of us troglodytes? What about those of us who have to google “troglodytes” in order to spell it?
Lots of frustration here folks, great absolute article and truth by the way. Troglodyte’s or not we have our work cut out for us and complaining ain’t going to get er done. Same blockchain deal cryptos are on. It’s simply another method that locks in a vote that makes it totally transparent, not who made the vote, but where the vote went, or to who rather.
Everyone, author here. If my comments are off-putting, it is to shake the calcification out of the folds in your brains, for those of you who cannot accept that the world has changed. It wasn’t to just piss off a bunch of allies. There are MANY of you out there, with your arms crossed and your lower lips out regarding the world and “what we need to go back to doing.” I have attending dozens of meetings and political rallies where “computers” are vilified as the enemy. My pantomime that “The problem is them damn computers” was actually an impersonation of a guy who got an almost standing ovation in a crowd unable to see how ridiculous the statement is on its face, with every person in attendance having one in their purse or pocket who’s lives would likely fall apart for a short time if they even misplaced it. Another perfect example of this was John’s comment from halfway up the thread where he cites a military study from 2020. You simply can’t understand how fast the world is changing. 4 years at the current pace of development is like 20 from when we were kids. Yes it comes with risks, but so does colonizing Mars for Pete’s sake. If you are over 50, and I will be there soon, you grew up in the 70’s and 80’s like I did, and are used to it taking a decade or more (especially here in Alaska) for technology to be adopted. Heck, even fashion trends are delayed and slower here (think pegged pants). A troglodyte is simply someone who is deliberately ignorant, and I am not sorry to call so many of my fellow conservatives such a term, but it is true. If you thought email was dumb in the 90’s because letters were better, that is a meat headed position, as evinced by its current ubiquity vs say, fax machines… Beuller… Bueller? There is a resistance to learn once you hit a certain age, and I have been inundated with people messaging me and calling me because they do actually know more about gapping a spark plug (a 100% obsolete skill thanks to manufacturing) than blockchain tech, but instead of complaining that I was insulting them, they admitted there were ‘guilty as charged’ because they know me and know my intent wasn’t to simply denigrate, but to convict. I also flatly disagree that letter mail is more secure than encrypted email, that’s laughable really. I wonder why you’re not supposed to mail cash, since it’s the secure way. lol. Protestation of the “technological” advancement of the world for the sake of tradition is not of itself a noble endeavor. You’ll note this falls down on the moral front, but this is exclusively about tech. (That’s why I suggested a stop-gap that records ON VIDEO every ballot handling station for the month leading up to and after election day.) This sentiment about tech is especially true because we are changing the game from “don’t be evil” to “can’t be evil.” If you are actually offended to be called a troglodyte, it can only be because the shoe fits and deep down, you know it. People who love to learn, or accept that you never stop learning because life never stops teaching, would never consider themselves even a part of a group of troglodytes or luddites, because you’re clearly not talking about them. If you are offended and conservative, PLEASE, don’t be like the dogmatic left, when someone challenges your position, especially when they are on your side. Consider what you know, what you have invested in learning, and whether you might actually be woefully uninformed on this issue. Now if you can already break down the difference between an account based model of cryptography, and the unspent transaction model, then just ignore me… but then, I clearly wasn’t talking to you.