Supporters of Alaska’s open primary and ranked-choice ballot have lodged formal complaints with the Alaska Public Offices Commission alleging that the group seeking to overturn the system has submitted inaccurate finance reports and failed to properly disclose major donors in advertising disclaimers.
What the complaints say
The complaints focus on filings by the repeal campaign known as Repeal Now, which secured a spot on the November 2026 general election ballot. Complainants contend that the campaign has mischaracterized the location of its top donor, and that its required disclosure language in ads is misleading.
“Repeal Now has chosen to use a fraudulent address,” said Scott Kendall, an attorney and chief defender of Alaska’s election system since its inception in 2020.
At issue in disclaimers appended to campaign videos is the phrase that identifies the largest contributor as “Aurora Action Network, Anchorage, Alaska … .” Complainants say Aurora Action Network is actually based in Wisconsin, with its treasurer and bank account located out of state.
Response from Repeal Now
Repeal Now’s attorney, Craig Richards, disputed the allegations at a preliminary APOC session Thursday. He said errors flagged in the complaints amount to filing mistakes and that critics are overplaying their significance. Richards argued the campaign’s disclaimer correctly reflects a local operational presence.
“There is no merit to any of that,” Richards told commissioners, while also saying the campaign’s largest donor has its “brain center” in Anchorage even though bookkeeping may occur in Wisconsin.
The commission did not resolve the complaints at the preliminary hearing and scheduled further proceedings for August. Meanwhile, APOC ordered Repeal Now to remove several YouTube videos that did not include proper disclaimers.
Why this matters for Alaska
Disputes over campaign finance and disclosure can shift time and money away from messaging efforts. Defenders of the ranked-choice and open primary system note that previous repeal efforts faced similar enforcement actions: a 2024 repeal drive, Alaskans for Honest Elections, was fined for campaign finance violations.
Those enforcement actions have had practical consequences in past cycles. Anchorage pastor Art Mathias, who launched the 2024 effort with a high-profile event, decreased his public role after complaints were filed and APOC concluded some associated actors had engaged in violations.
Key details
- Campaign: Repeal Now — seeks to repeal Alaska’s ranked-choice voting and open primary system.
- Complaint target: Alleged inaccurate reports and misleading donor disclaimers, including an address issue for Aurora Action Network.
- Next step: APOC set further proceedings for August; several videos were ordered removed for lacking disclaimers.
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Preliminary APOC hearing | Held; no immediate resolution |
| Videos without disclaimers | Ordered removed |
| Further proceedings | Scheduled for August |
For voters and campaign watchers, the complaints raise two central questions: whether Repeal Now accurately discloses its major financial backers and whether those disclosures comply with state law. The APOC process will determine whether the campaign’s filings and disclaimers meet Alaska’s campaign finance requirements, or whether enforcement action is warranted as it has been in prior repeal efforts.
Those outcomes could affect campaign operations leading into the fall ballot fight, potentially diverting funds to legal defenses or resulting in fines that critics say diminish credibility. The commission’s review will also help clarify how political committees should report out-of-state donation structures that nonetheless support Alaska ballot measures.
— Nora Kallio, Alaska Correspondent
