Recount Expected in Alaska Senate Race, Even After Winner Declared

[question everything]

Source: The Public Record

By Jason Leopold
The Public Record
Saturday, November 15, 2008

Even after the all the remaining ballots are counted next week in Alaska’s still undecided senate race between incumbent Ted Stevens and Democratic challenger Mark Begich a recount is all but certain to take place regardless of whether Stevens or Begich is declared the winner, both campaigns said Friday.

In an e-mail sent to supporters after Begich overcame a 3,000 vote deficit earlier in the week, Begich campaign manager Heather Rauch said, “we expect that this will be a very close race and there will be a recount.” “We are starting to prepare for this scenario, and will really need your support to make sure every vote is counted fairly,” Rauch’s e-mail said.

The Alaska Division of Elections said unofficial results shows Begich with 138,959 votes and 137,937 votes for Stevens. On Friday, Rauch sent out another email after Begich widened his lead against Stevens earlier in the day to 1,022 votes from 814 votes. Rauch said the Begich campaign is preparing "for the onslaught of Republican lawyers we expect to come from the Republican National Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Campaign to fight on behalf of Sen. Stevens."

Campaign aides to Stevens said they expect to mount a vigorous legal challenge should Begich prevail and intend to call into question the integrity of absentee and questioned ballots (referred to as provisional ballots in other states) certified by the Alaska Division of Elections.

(snip)

If Stevens is declared the winner of Alaska’s senate race he will face an automatic ethics investigation and it’s likely his colleagues will secure the two-thirds vote needed to expel him.


Read more: http://www.pubrecord.org/politics/498.html?task=view

[Sebastian Doyle]

1. If the Repukes demand a recount, then it's not about Stevens, but about Moosealini

They know the convicted felon is toast anyway. They wouldn't go through the time and expense for him. But they would to allow Tundra Barbie to advance her sad and pathetic political career.

[Gman]

12. It's not even about Stevens

it's about 59 versus 60. The seat stays Republican if Stevens wins regardless of who eventually is seated.

[Eric J in MN]

2. On the morning of the election,

...the polling average at electoral-vote.com had Mark Begich (D) ahead by 55-40.

The closeness of the official election results is suspicious.


http://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2008/Senate/Maps/Nov04-s.html

[Wilms]

3. .

http://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2008/Senate/Graphs/alaska.html

[Stevepol]

9. Highly suspicious. But does AK have paper to recount?

Or does it just mean re-running the touchscreens or something, i.e., no real recount at all?

I know they're in the Premier (Diebold) camp, but if they use paper and optiscans, they can recount, and if they do, if the polls are that one-sided (55-40), I'd suspect the machines are at it again.

I'll bet if Begich wins the AK Repubs and Stevens as well just concede to avoid the recount.

I'd like to see the recount more than have Stevens concede. If AK and MN both show definite discrepancies between the machine count and the actual hand count, that could maybe trigger some real investigations of the machine vendors (though I won't hold my breath), in this case Diebold in AK and ES&S in MN.

[ksimons]

4. I hope the GOP chokes on the bills for all the lawyers bwhahahahahh

talk about throwing good money after bad - and THEN they have to return all those clothes from Palin just yet. That oughta pay for one or two of 'em and their flight to Alaska.

hope they have lots of money to spend for all this - only to see it go bye-bye after the recount confirms it all again!

Gotta love those republicans -- good for the legal business these days. defending Stevens AND chasing votes all on the same bill.

[TheWraith]

5. Will it take 24 business hours?

Jason Leopold belongs nowhere near journalism. If he told me the sky was blue, I'd double check.

[w4rma]

6. He's appears to be correct more often that many more mainstream reporters.

And he covers more important topics, also.

[annabanana]

11. I agree with you on that .

I too was bitterly disappointed by the way slippery Rove slid out of reach during the Plame investigations.. I do not hold him responsible for it.

[aquart]

8. Yes, dear, you cling to that.

And wave your self-righteousness like the brave banner it is.

[No Elephants]

7. Alaska, Georgia and Minnesota are examples of why we need to start

contributing to the DNC every month or every other month, even if it is only $5 every other month. There have to be funds on hand, even right after election day, for things like this. And the DNC has to have the money to back up local candidates. We enjoyed the benefits of the 50 state strategy on election night, but it does not come free. And mid terms are now a little less than two years away.

Hillary and Obama sucked most of the donation money out of the Democratic universe before the Presidential campaign even began. We have to stop focusing only on individual candidates and individual races. Whe have remember the DNC so that it can help whatever candidates need it most. That is an effective use of our donation dollars. And, yes, by all means, give to individuals you admire as well. But the DNC needs a war chest.

[machI]

10. Stevens is a criminal and a Republican. Stealing this election is well within his repertoire

Should Stevens be adequately found to have been beaten by Begich, watch for him to become the Chairman of the Republican National Committee. He definitely has the resume for it.

[Jackpine Radical]

13. "a criminal and a Republican--"

You're being redundundundant, you know.

[gratuitous]

14. There is an automatic recount provision in Alaska law

If memory serves, the margin of victory for one side or the other has to be less than 1/2 of 1% to trigger an automatic recount. If the difference is greater than that, then the losing party would have to pay for a recount. Let's unpack that a little bit.

First, I don't know that Stevens or the national Republican people are all that anxious to spend a lot of money on a recount just to install a convicted felon. Under Liddy Dole's lousy stewardship, the NRSC did not raise as much money as they used to raise, and they don't have a lot of cash on hand. Recounts, lawyers, and observers cost. And it costs a lot more to send them to Alaska in December.

Second, should they spend all that money and prevail for Stevens, he would likely be expelled from the Senate. The governor of Alaska can make an interim appointment, but because the unexpired term for this Senate seat would be nearly a full term, a special election would have to be held. And it's just possible that Alaskans have grown weary of having a very corrupt Republican party running their state. Special elections are a dicey business.

Third, a thorough examination of Alaskan voting techniques, counting, reporting and so forth might not be in the best interests of the state Republican party. Especially not a thorough examination with the whole nation watching. It is better to be thought corrupt than to have that corruption laid out for everyone to see and confirmed in the public mind.

Fourth, since Saxby Chambliss' seat in Georgia is going to a run-off next month, and the turnout will surely be quite low and the incumbent has all the advantages in such a race, the national Republicans might decide that Georgia is a far more favorable battleground (cheaper, too) than Alaska.

The best long-term strategy for the Republicans might be to lay low, let Begich have his one term as a Senator, and then re-take the seat in 2014 using the creaky but reliable Alaska political machine. They save a lot money, look like reasonable people (all post-partisan and stuff), and then plot their revenge for the next election cycle.

[scytherius]

15. Good. Just means Repukes suffer longer as they lose the recount too. n/t

nt

[elocs]

16. We have an interesting dichotomy here.

When Democrats want a recount, such as in MN (although it is by law), they celebrate it as a noble exercise to confirm the will of the people.

When Republicans want a recount, such as in AK (also, evidently by law), Democrats accuse them of simply using a recount to steal the election.

Can a Republican defeat a Democrat in a close election (any election), or to be good Democrats must we always consider close election losses by a Democrat to be a stolen election?

[VP505]

18. It is what it is!

There is more than enough empirical evidence that Republickers have and likely will continue to attempt to "steal" close elections. Until Dem's have a similar history of Republicker election stealing attempts then I think I have agree with:"to be good Democrats must we always consider close election losses by a Democrat to be a stolen election?"

[elocs]

20. I tell that to Republican friends and they answer with one word: Chicago. n/t

[hvn_nbr_2]

17. Based on how long the first count is taking, the recount ought to finish...

about the time Stevens gets out of jail.

[asksam]

19. No way. If Begich wins, then NO RECOUNT!!

The Rethugs are always looking to steal elections. They're trying to steal the one in Minnesota away from Franken and they're trying to steal this one too.