Question and answer regarding proposed changes to 6 AAC 25.071 in the regulations for the Division of Elections.

August 27, 2021

Question – Can you provide a numerical example of how this section works?

Answer: The division received a request for numerical examples of the proposed regulation at 6 AAC 25.071, which would determine how the division will count write-in votes in a general election. Please see below for an example of how this would look.

EXAMPLE 1

First choice totals:

Candidate A gets 50 votes

Candidate B gets 40 votes

Candidate C gets 20 votes

Candidate D gets 15 votes

All write-in candidates together get 30 votes

In this scenario, write-ins are not collectively the highest ranked candidate in the first round.  Nor is the difference between the highest ranked candidate A (50 votes) and write-ins (30 votes) less than .5 percent (1/2 percent or .005)

Candidate A votes – Write-in votes:

50-30=20

The difference from the above/divided by the total number of votes in the first round for Candidate A and write-ins:

20/80 = .25 (25%)

25% is greater than .5 percent

The write in candidates do not clear the threshold, so all write-in candidates are eliminated and the second or subsequent choices on all the write-in ballots would be distributed to the remaining candidates.

EXAMPLE 2

First choice totals:

Candidate A gets 250 votes

Candidate B gets 240 votes

Candidate C gets 230 votes

Candidate D gets 220 votes

Write-ins get 249 votes

In this scenario, write-ins are not the highest candidate but the difference between Candidate A and Write-ins is 1 vote.

1/499= .002 (.2%)

The write in candidates do clear the threshold, so the division would then count the write-in votes for each valid write-in candidate as an individual candidate. This means each write-in is treated separately. For example, following the individual counting of the valid write-ins, write-in candidate Brown got 230 votes and write-in candidate Smith got 19 votes. Write-in candidate Smith would be eliminated and the second choice on those 19 ballots would be redistributed. Then the rounds of tabulation would continue.