“New York Prisoner Allowed on Alaska U.S. House Ballot: Judge’s Controversial Ruling”

KETCHIKAN, Alaska — Eric Hafner, a fringe candidate currently incarcerated in federal prison in New York, is set to appear on the general election ballot for Alaska’s lone U.S. House seat following a recent judge’s ruling. Hafner, who has never been to Alaska, is running as a Democrat in an attempt to unseat Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola.

The Alaska Democratic Party plans to appeal the decision to the state’s high court. According to Alaska’s election system, four congressional candidates from any party advance to the general election ballot after a nonpartisan primary.

Despite finishing a distant sixth place in the state’s August primary with just 0.4% of the vote, Hafner made it to the general election ballot due to the withdrawal of two Republican candidates who had received more votes. The Cook Political Report views the race as a toss-up between Peltola and Republican Nick Begich, which could influence control of the U.S. House next year.

Legal Challenges and Arguments

The Alaska Democratic Party sued the state’s Division of Elections last week, seeking to remove Hafner from the ballot. Their lawsuit raised two main arguments:

  1. Candidate Placement: They argued that Alaska law specifies that if a candidate drops out of the top four, the fifth-place finisher should take their place. Hafner’s appearance on the ballot as a sixth-place candidate was described as unprecedented.
  2. Constitutional Eligibility: They contended that Hafner does not meet the U.S. Constitution’s residency requirement for candidates, which states that a candidate must be “an inhabitant of that State” on Election Day. Hafner, who has about 15 years left on a 20-year prison sentence for threats made in New Jersey, is argued to be unable to fulfill this requirement.

Hafner, who has previously run for congressional seats in Hawaii and Oregon, maintains his innocence and has stated that if elected, he expects to be released under compassionate release statutes.

Judge’s Ruling and Implications

Alaska Superior Court Judge Ian Wheeles ruled in favor of the state Division of Elections, allowing Hafner to remain on the ballot. Wheeles cited ranked-choice voting as a mitigating factor, noting that it allows voters to rank all candidates, potentially neutralizing claims of harm.

The judge also denied the Democratic Party’s request for an injunction, stating that Hafner is constitutionally qualified to run for office, regardless of his ability to serve if elected. Reprinting ballots would disrupt the election process, especially given the federally mandated deadline to send out ballots to international voters by September 21.

During oral arguments, an election official expressed concern that removing Hafner could result in missing this critical deadline. Wheeles’ decision aligns with recent judicial rulings regarding late ballot reprints and election procedures.

Also Read: “Westchester’s Request: New Adjustments to NY Education Funding Formula”

Source 

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *