AUGUST 28, 2018 ANCHORAGE- The State of Alaska Division of Elections has completed a provisional count of all the ballots cast in the House District 15 Republican Primary Election, and the incumbent legislator, Gabrielle LeDoux, leads Aaron Weaver by 87 votes, excluding the absentee ballots that the division has categorized as suspect.
With the suspect absentee ballots included, LeDoux leads Weaver by 113 votes. The total numbers are as follows:
Ballot numbers:
- In-person, early, and questioned ballots counted: 636
- All absentee ballots: 208
- Suspect absentee ballots: 26
Vote totals:
- Excluding suspect absentee ballots:
- Votes for LeDoux – 426
- Votes for Weaver – 339
- Votes for LeDoux – 426
- Including suspect absentee ballots:
- Votes for LeDoux – 452
- Votes for Weaver – 339
The number of ballots counted is greater than the number of votes recorded in the House District 15 race because not all voters who cast a ballot voted in the House District 15 Republican Primary.
The division will accept absentee ballots up until the close of business on Friday, August 31. The division intends to certify the House District 15 Primary Election on Saturday, September 1. That means these numbers could still change. But at this point, it appears that the 26 suspect absentee ballots will not impact the outcome of the election. The suspect absentee ballots have been referred to the Criminal Division of the Department of Law for further investigation.
