JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska Supreme Court is set to hear a case Thursday that will decide whether a measure to repeal the state’s new open primary and ranked choice general election system will remain on the November ballot.
The parties arguing the case in Anchorage are seeking a ruling from the state’s high court by Sept. 3.
Three voters who sued to disqualify the measure from the ballot are challenging Superior Court Judge Christina Rankin’s decision in June that the state Division of Elections complied with deadlines and acted within its authority when it allowed sponsors of the repeal measure to fix errors with petition booklets after they were already turned in.
Rankin in a subsequent decision found instances in which the signature-gathering process was not properly carried out by repeal supporters, and she disqualified those booklets. But the appeal focuses on the deadline questions.
Getting an initiative on the ballot requires signature gathering. People who circulate petition booklets must attest to meeting certain requirements and have their affidavits notarized or certified.