Constitutional Convention question holds 70 percent disapproval vote in Alaska

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) - As votes continue to be tabulated in the 2022 midterm election, many races in Alaska remain up in the air. However, Ballot Measure 1, the question of whether Alaska will hold a Constitutional Convention, is currently failing by a wide margin.

This result is unlikely to change as more numbers come in.

As of Tuesday, November 15, residents voted slightly more than 70 percent against the convention, with just under 30 percent voting in favor.

In October, convention proponent Robert Bird decried the amount of out-of-state money being contributed to the campaign against the ballot measure. “Look and see who’s trying to tell Alaskans what to do. It is money from the lower 48. It has already poisoned whatever this outcome will be. If the “vote yes” wins, it will have overcome, perhaps, the most lopsided spending in American history. But if it fails, and it’s close, it will poison the outcome,” he said.

Former state senator and convention opponent John Coghill, also expressed concern with the amount of outside money raised by Defend the Constitution.

However, the former senator was not surprised by the results and says that while fundraising likely contributed to the outcome, the people of Alaska ultimately voted against the measure because they knew the risks of a convention.

Coghill also says he agrees with many of the concerns raised by those advocating for a convention. “I think it should always be open for discussion. I don’t think you ever close that conversation down. The fundamentals of our whole democracy really need to be examined over and over and over again, and I think this is a good occasion to do that, but you always got to be very deliberate. It’s kind of like you’re changing the blueprint of your house while you’re living in it, so it’s wise to look at it, and it’s good to check your foundation every once in a while to make sure that it’s solid,” he said.

The Alaska Division of Elections is scheduled to release more results from absentee, questioned and early votes around the state on Friday, November 19. The target date to have the election certified is November 29.

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