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From the editor: Voter's will needs to be protected

December 9th 1:25 am | Carey Restino Print this article   Email this article   Create a Shortlink for this article

The recent allegations of misconduct involving the runoff election between North Slope Borough mayoral candidates do a lot more than create work and heartache for borough employees.

According to George Ahmaogak's claims, the list of issues clouding the validity of the recent election is long and worrisome. And even if the current investigation indicates there is only a pinch of truth to the claims, the damage has been done. Anyone reading the long list of variation in vote counts, changes to the number of ballots cast, and allegedly glib conduct of borough staff concerning the value of each vote is likely to conclude that the election process is anything but secure.

That's not good. A look back at the 2000 presidential election tells you that the damage done by a general loss of faith in the integrity of an election is the final knife in the back of already fragile voter confidence. How do we convince young people to invest time and effort in our election system if they are learning at every turn that the system is broken? Voter apathy is already at an all-time high and the number of people who follow the workings of local, state and federal government is lower than ever. In many cases, those who do are viewed by many now as being radical.

Somehow that tide must turn, and like was said so often during the recent election season, Alaska Natives must come together and stand united in the face of huge issues such as protecting the already dented Arctic environment, oil and gas exploration, and the many societal issues that face communities and individuals. These are huge hurtles, and not easily overcome. If citizens of the North Slope Borough take from this election that their votes do not count — that someone holding a position of power took it upon themselves to assert their will rather than allowing the people to do so, it could have a ripple effect that does significant harm.

That's why the lawyers involved in this case should challenge themselves to act not in the best interests of their cli- ents alone, but in the interests of the entire borough and the elec- tion system on which our soci- ety is built. As the details of who did what when come out, it may be possible for some of the allegations brought before the borough's independent investi- gator to be dropped. Though it might be simpler for all involved to sidestep some of these issues, that would be a mistake. If someone has said publicly that a an act of election misconduct occurred, it should be investi- gated, not just because of the validity of the claim, but because of the potential damage done by letting such claims fes- ter. The North Slope Borough should consider the potential damage done by sweeping things under the rug.

Some of the allegations brought before the independent investigator may well have been simple mistakes or oversights. If so, let the borough design a system whereby voters can be assured those mistakes will never happen again. Perhaps it's a situation where more people need to be involved, or more oversight needs to be given so as to not overload one individual with the lion's share of the duty of protecting the entire election's integrity. Perhaps it's a matter of making sure that those involved are up to the challenge.

Other allegations appear to be significantly more serious matters, and the legal waffling over who and how those allegations would be brought to the proper authority didn't instill much confidence in the listener.

Most of all, the allegations of election misconduct seem to have created a rift between the parties involved. True, a campaign is a race and it pits one candidate against the other in a contest of moral integrity and platform. But that time has ended. Both the elected officials and the candidates have a responsibility first and foremost to serve the people who voted for them, and that should supersede their self-interest. It is up to everyone involved to clean up this mess using the finest bristled brushes possible so as to reassure the voters that determining their true will is, indeed, of the highest importance.

 

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