I've decided to repost my staffer Jason's diary from yesterday, as it came out at a bad time. But it's got important information I think you all need to know.
This is the Final Push!
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(from Jason)
There is trouble afoot at the polls in Alaska. The Division of Elections has taken a step unprecedented in the history of the state to benefit Lisa Murkowski's write-in campaign. Here's an update of what's going on, and what's at stake.
We need your help to keep this election fair.
Hey again, it's Jason from the McAdams campaign, dropping in to give you a from-the-front-lines update as to what's been going on in our race. I pay pretty close attention to the netroots, so I know that much of what I'm about to say may have been covered elsewhere.
Last week, at the beginning of early voting here in Alaska, the Division of Elections took the unprecedented step of providing every single early polling location with a printed list, on Division of Elections letterhead, of all the "registered" write-in candidates. Lisa Murkowski.
This list was accompanied by some pretty vague (I just finished law school, so I know vague when I see it... and this was pretty darn vague) instructions about the use of the list to "assist voters." We received reports last week that it was being posted INSIDE POLLING BOOTHS in one part of Alaska. While the Division removed the list from booths when it was brought to their attention, they have maintained that they have a right and obligation to provide this list to every polling place in the state, before and on Election Day.
This is wrong.
This is against clear regulations. It is against the law. It is a transparent, unprecedented intervention in the voting process to benefit a single candidate. It is against the foundational idea that if you're not on the ballot, you're not on the ballot, and you don't get extra help from your friends in the bureaucracy to be prominently featured at the polling place.
I won't get into the full legal nitty gritty because I realize that's boring to most people. After communicating with and being rebuffed by the Division of Elections last week, today the Alaska Democratic Party was joined by the Alaska Republican Party in suing for a temporary restraining order to prevent this list from further being distributed. The Murkowski campaign has intervened on behalf of the Division.
Argument was held this afternoon, and the judge ordered full briefing to be completed by close of business tomorrow, with his decision to come on Wednesday morning. I will keep you updated as to his decision
We cannot have another Florida. We cannot have another Minnesota. We will not let this election be Coleman-ed. We will ensure that everyone has their opportunity to vote and that the laws are upheld to ensure fairness at the polling booth.
More than ever, we need your help to put up the fight. I anticipated recount issues, Election Day issues and irregularities resulting from unintentional oversight, but I didn't anticipate the full weight of the Division of Elections pushing for tricky methods to help Lisa Murkowski.
I was naive. I won't be again. If you can lend a hand, now is the time to do it. Every dollar, every call, every link you post on Facebook or Tweet you send supporting our campaign is a great help. We're making our final ad buys, printing our last batch of fliers, ordering our last batches of yard signs. If you were planning on supporting us but have been waiting, the time for waiting is over.
It's time to fight.
- Jason -
PS - Promise that Scott's piece on filibuster reform will go up tomorrow; it keeps getting pushed back by emerging events. But you will have it!
Your continuous support continues to surprise and inspire us. As of this posting, Scott's received $66,000 through ActBlue. Let's shoot for $75k to do this thing the right way!
UPDATE: Rachel Maddow swung by the office last night and will be doing her show live from Anchorage today. Check out our Facebook photo album for some shots of Rachel in the office. I've always been a huge Rachel fan, from her days as an analyst crushing Pat Buchanan's heinous on-air nonsense. I was admittedly giddy to meet her, and she was great.
(I should probably put a disclaimer here that Rachel isn't endorsing us and her awesome visit to our office shouldn't be taken as support, etc. Though she is the greatest person ever. Jussayin'.)