Bahnke calls Alaska election system ‘excellent’

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) – The Latest on Alaska’s lieutenant governor (all times local):

3:55 p.m.

The former director of Alaska elections says state’s election system is “excellent.”

Josie Bahnke says there were no changes made during her tenure that would make the system vulnerable.

Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer said Monday he wants an audit of Alaska’s election system following irregularities in the last two primaries.

In 2016, questions arose over training for workers in certain rural precincts. Earlier this year, the division said it referred suspect ballots in a state House race to the Department of Law for review.

Bahnke says it’s hard to comment without knowing what an audit would look like. But she says strides have been made in election worker training.

She says she doesn’t think an audit would reveal anything new.

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1:25 p.m.

Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer says he wants an audit of Alaska’s election system following irregularities in the last two primaries.

He says the more he’s learning about the Division of Elections, the more he thinks it has done a good job. He notes that the division discovered some irregularities in a state House primary this year that it referred to the Department of Law for review.

But he says those irregularities and actions by some election workers in a 2016 House primary raised concerns.

He says an audit may not find much, if anything, but says even if there is a minor issue, it’s important to fix to ensure trust in the election process.

Meyer took office earlier this month. One of his roles is overseeing the division.

AP-WF-12-18-18 0100GMT