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State lawmaker thinks election law up for debate

December 29, 2010|By Megan Baldino

Anchorage, Alaska — An Alaska lawmaker believes the state Legislature should consider changes to election law following the contentious U.S. Senate race.

State Sen. Bill Wielechowski says his staff is looking at how other states deal with write-in ballots.

Joe Miller will make his decision by Friday on whether or not he will continue his legal fight over the counting of write-in ballots. Wielechowski thinks the legislature should review the write-in ballot language, saying it could ultimately cost the state hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Wielechowski said his staff is researching how the law is written in other states. As the chair of the State Affairs Committee, he plans to broach the subject with other lawmakers in the upcoming session.

"I don't know what Joe Miller plans to do but there is a potential that another candidate in the future could take it to the 9th Circuit or the U.S. Supreme Court. We've already spent $80,000 and if he takes it to the U.S. Supreme Court and we have to defend it, it would probably cost hundreds of thousands of dollars," said Wielechowski.

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Miller believes the state should have been held to a strict reading of the law and not allowed to use discretion in tallying write-in ballots for his rival, Sen. Lisa Murkowski.

   Federal Judge Ralph Beistline lifted the stay on certifying the election and dismissed Miller's lawsuit. But the judge validated Miller's concern on the statute being "poorly drafted."

The state is expected to certify the election tomorrow.

Miller said he will announce any future legal pursuits by Friday afternoon.

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