The Alaskan Independence Party and two Anchorage residents are suing the state of Alaska to overturn Ballot Measure 2.

This ballot measure is a sweeping election reform initiative installing ranked-choice voting in Alaska’s general elections.

Additionally, the lawsuit claims the measure would violate the rights to free political association, free speech, petition, due process and other rights guaranteed by the Alaska and U.S. constitutions.

Filed against the state of Alaska and the Alaska Division of Elections, the lawsuit requests the measure be nullified and not be used in future elections.

Voters in Oklahoma City approved a proposition relating to mayoral and city council elections.

Proposition 1 amends the city charter by changing the names of “primary” and “general” elections to “general” and “runoff” elections.

Additionally, the proposition sets the regular general election date for mayoral elections to the second Tuesday in February 2022 and every four years going forward instead of existing primary mayoral election dates set as the second Tuesday in March.

Proposition 1 also sets the regular general election date for city council elections as the second Tuesday in odd-numbered years instead of the existing primary city council election date set as the first Tuesday in March.

The regular runoff election date for both mayoral and city council elections would be set to the first Tuesday in April immediately following the general election.

Lastly, the proposition adds specific processes for if the city council creates more than eight city wards and provides elected officials take officer four weeks rather than one week after the runoff election.

Proposition 1 took effect when passed 73% to 27% on November 3.

The Utah Legislature announced a special session beginning August 20 to consider COVID-19 relief, reopening schools, and to determine how to hold the November 3 general election.

The August 20 special session marks the sixth special session of the year. The election changes aim to modify a practice known as ballot harvesting or allowing a third party to collect and deliver multiple by-mail ballots.

Among the non-COVID issues to be discussed is a request for $20 million to bail out developers of a port in Oakland, California Utah lawmakers believe would ship Utah coal abroad.

The Legislature will hold the special session electronically, encouraging the public to participate by submitting inquires and feedback directly to their legislators or by remotely attending committee meetings.

The Legislature has exercised its ability to call itself into session, a method approved by voters in 2018. Before then, only governors could call a special session.

The special session does not affect lobbyist reporting.

Gov. Ralph Northam has postponed upcoming elections for two weeks.

Pursuant to a pair of executive orders, the general and special elections scheduled for May 5 will instead be held on May 19.

Additionally, the primary election scheduled for June 9 will be held June 23.

On October 2, Arizona Attorney General Thomas C. Horne joined with Secretary of State Ken Bennett by concluding the law under newly enacted House Bill 2593 requires separate candidate committees for the primary and general elections and contribution limits still apply to committee-to-committee transfers. The attorney general amended an opinion in which it had previously stated, “The best practice might be to set up two separate candidate committees (for the primary and general elections), but the statutes do not necessarily require it.”

The secretary of state has advised that transfers between committees for election in the same year are subject to the contribution limit of $2000.