KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
On Wednesday, the Alaska Division of Elections made its final count of outstanding ballots from the November 8th General Election.
About 700 more absentee and nearly 200 question ballots were added to the House District 32 totals, but they did not change the results – Representative Louise Stutes of Kodiak has been reelected.
After last Friday’s (Nov. 18) count, the Republican led unaffiliated challenger Duncan Fields by 185 votes, 2,622 to 2,437. After Wednesday’s additions, the lead had grown to 211 votes, 2,981 for Stutes, and 2,771 for Fields.
Democrat Brent Watkins’ total grew from 948 last week to 1,128 on Wednesday.
With the 2,771 absentee, question and early voting ballots added, that brings the voter turnout up to 7,540, out of 12,937 registered, or 58.28 percent.
Kodiak Senator Gary Stevens’ total in HD-32 grew by 1,858 votes once all the absentee, question, and early voting ballots were counted. His total, including House District 31, the lower Kenai Peninsula, was 12,950. The Republican ran largely unopposed, with only a write-in campaign by a Homer woman to slow his return to Juneau. There were 484 write-in votes.
The Division of Elections is targeting Tuesday for the results to be certified. The first session of the 30th Alaska Legislature gavels in on January 17th.
