Absentee tallying gets under way in Alaska (Miller/Murky Votes)

politico.com ^ | 11/9/10 11:01 AM EST | SHIRA TOEPLITZ

[Syncro]

Absentee tallying gets under way in Alaska

By SHIRA TOEPLITZ |

11/9/10 11:01 AM EST Updated:

11/9/10 11:40 AM EST

Election officials will tally an additional 30,500 absentee ballots Tuesday in the first stage of what is expected to be a days-long process to determine the winner of the Alaska Senate race.

Republican Joe Miller is hopeful that he can close the 13,439-vote gap between him and the number of ballots cast for write-in candidates, most of which presumably are intended for Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

Alaska Division of Elections Director Gail Fenumiai told POLITICO in an e-mail that election results will start updating to include the new absentee ballot totals around 6 p.m. EST.

Winning a significant portion of the absentee ballots that will be opened Tuesday would certainly boost Miller, but the real battle will begin Wednesday, when election officials begin sorting at least 83,201 write-in votes and determining Murkowski's final tally.

*snip*

"So when you add the numbers from the absentees, from those ballots that are going to be counted on the write-ins, we're right in there," Miller told CNN. "We believe that there is a real reason for cautious optimism."

*snip*

The ballot-counting is expected to continue next week: Additional questioned ballots are scheduled to be counted Friday, with more absentee and questioned ballots to be tallied early next week.

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[Eska]

Wife and I both voted in person, but I witnessed both my kids absentee ballots. I'd like to think that pissed off Alaskans would almost all vote for Joe; and the same with military.

I also witnessed several local Indians absentee ballots and they voted for Joe. I really don't figure many Indians voted absentee though; so all the Indians who voted on election day (which threw the election) have already been counted. That tells me Joe has the possibility of pulling this one out.

If he does win, my family will remain registered Repubs; will change to independent if not. I'm really turned off to all the corruption in this election. AND if Lisa wins, every Indian that ever cries the blues about anything in the future; I'll tell them to go cry to somebody who cares;;; like Lisa, ha ha.

Seriously though, I know almost half the Indians in our village voted for Miller. They voted for him because they themselves were Vets, Gun Owners, and worried about where our Country is headed.

[Syncro]

That reminds me of a cool radio ad that is up on You Tube about The Spoiled Brat Princess.

63,913 views

It's pretty funny!

[proudpapa]

I watched the last debate and if my choices had been Lisa M. or McAdams, I would have voted for the democrat.

[RileyD, nwJ]

You said, Seriously though, I know almost half the Indians in our village voted for Miller. They voted for him because they themselves were Vets, Gun Owners, and worried about where our Country is headed.

Can you tell us, from your village, how the vote divided between the REP and the DEM and if there was any place for a write in? Or was the write in effort not yet full blown?

In the lower 48 we have few details.

Thanks!

[Eska]

Here in Eagle, it was 2 for Miller for every single Murkowski vote. Our community is in the interior along the Upper Yukon. There was a spot for write ins.

You see the Indians had their big conference in Fairbanks a few weeks back and they were all told to vote for Murkowski if they expected the fed money to keep flowing their way.

In some villages though, all the Indians voted for Lisa. I really doubt many of the Indians sent in absentee ballots on their own. Indians don't actually pay much attention to any govt, they just want to be left alone, kinda keep some of their culture, and use whatever money they get from govt for booze. Well not all of them, but the alcohol is killing them all off and it's kinda a bad deal. Once you get to know them they are a pretty good bunch just the same.

The Native Corps sign them all up as dems soon as they turn 18, but I know quite a few who are reg repubs where we live. Many of the Indians are half breeds but were raised as Indian, so they look White; talk, act, think Indian. They had White fathers so those guys are Repubs like their dads were; no joke.

[RileyD, nwJ]

ADN's update at 11:18 a.m. shows JoeM with an initial 1,012 absentee votes reducing the write-in total advantage to 12,327.

Expect to see the write in advantage reduce continually.

Which raises a question: If JoeM gets over 14,000 of the absentee ballots, do the write in votes even need to be counted?

[TitansAFC]

Numbers are actually NOT very encouraging so far:

http://community.adn.com/adn/node/154230

“the number of absentee votes that Miller gained today is at 132.”

Considering how many districts are now included in the count, this is not good news at all.

[Lexinom]

“5:17 p.m.: ... Miller has picked up 1,882 votes in today’s count.

“The Division of Elections now says it’s counting 28,927 ballots today and the full results will be available later tonight.

“That’s the vast majority of absentee ballots the state has received, so there won’t be many of them left to count next week.”

[RileyD, nwJ]

Hey can anyone help me out here please?

What are the write-in's the ADN is referring to in each House District count?

Are the write-ins part of the absentee ballots from each House District or are the write-ins those submitted from each House District on election day?

If they are the former JoeM may very well lose. If, however, they are the latter then Joe continues to close.

Which is it? Does anyone know?

[Eska]

Now, I'm getting mixed up. The write ins mainly are from election day, but an absentee voter can submit a write in as an absentee. So in other words, Miller gained almost 1900 votes on the write in total from election day. Miller would need 11,557 votes to beat the total write ins from election day. I think the 1900 vote increase was from 14,000 absentee votes gone through today and they are suppose to go through 28,000 total for today. I've heard anywhere from 30K to 38K total absentee votes are possible. So maybe Miller can gain another 1500-2000 votes on Murkowski today at best. This would make the write in total Miller needs to surpass around 10K, right? Sure wish Miller was gaining more votes but doesn't look good. Maybe 7% of 10K write in total will be kicked back; still gives Murkowski a big lead.

I guess I've already lived through the Palin years up here; which were the best that I have seen politically. I had faith in our state govt and didn't feel all that threatened by our Congressional members. Life goes on, nothing ever changes all that much.

[Greek]

Here is the count schedule from the official website:

Tuesday, 11/9 - Early votes from Election Day and Absentee ballots

Friday, 11/12 - Questioned ballots
Monday, 11/15 - Absentee and/or questioned ballots
Tuesday, 11/16 - Absentee and/or questioned ballots
Wednesday, 11/17 - Special Advance (overseas) ballots

Maybe the military ballots on 11/17 will carry the day?

[Eska]

Hope & pray you are right; just don't think there will be enough military votes to win it. I had to look, thought maybe you were the Indian I know who is called "GREEK" ha.

Ya know, this whole election has been hocus & corrupt; I called and requested the paperwork to change everybody in my family from Repub to non-affiliated.

When Palin was running the show, it seemed as though Alaska was cleaning up the political corruption. Soon as she resigned, it came screaming back; you could see it; bad deal all around.

Now, I know many of the Indians in our local village (up here, the Indians & Whites live in separate communities, 4 miles apart; everybody likes it that way); but I'm closer to the Indians than the town and got a few of them to fill out absentee ballots for MIller. Other Indians are Vietnam Vets and voted for Miller. Yet the Indian leaders at AFN conference told them all to vote Lisa; most did I think in other villages.

I can't figure how so many Indians prefer t be enslaved by the fed money rather than setting their own course & destiny. Heck, they own so much land & resources but aren't motivated to develop it & create jobs. Maybe just the Indian mindset not to tear nature up. Anyway, looks like they voted for Lisa rather than the dem candidate they usually vote for.

Courts interpreted state statute to mean anything close to the name went for Lisa, not exact spelling as law.

Awful hard for Miller to surmount this sort of thing. I can't wait to rub it into the Indians soon as they start complaining; you all voted for Murkowski; I don't want to hear it I'll tell them, ha ha.

[Greek]

Hang in there...every battle has casualties, but we will prevail in the end. Moocow hopefully will just switch over to the dims so we can run against her for who she is.