Controversy over printing errors on ballot in Houston, election certificate highlights council meeting

HOUSTON, Alaska (KTUU) – The Houston City Council held a special meeting Monday night to discuss a recount and misprints on ballots.

Certification of the city’s election was postponed from last week’s meeting after candidate Callie Courtney, a write-in candidate for Seat G, requested a city recount.

According to a letter from prosecutors, Courtney has decided to withdraw the request for a recount.

However, a larger issue was raised, namely a misprint on the ballots themselves. The City of Houston’s ballot for Seat G on the City Council listed the term as three years, ending in October 2027. This was incorrect because the race was for a one-year term, ending in October 2025.

Another topic Councilmember Sandy McDonald brought up was the Canvass Board’s unofficial results numbers. According to McDonald, the numbers don’t add up and need to be fixed.

“If this council chooses to certify this election, it shows great disrespect to the people of this community where we cannot have a transparent election and get our numbers straight and have them trust us,” McDonald said.

Tani Schoneman, the city clerk, said the numbers were correct, but they were placed in the wrong places and some of the columns were filled out incorrectly.

According to the mayor’s office, the correct official form will be published on Tuesday afternoon.

The City Council voted to approve the resolution correcting Seat G’s term. The council then voted to certify the results, with two council members opposed – McDonald and Council member Lisa Johansen.

“Any discrepancies on the ballots should be taken seriously,” Johansen said. “I was called brash for this, but honesty is and will always be what I stand for. I will ensure that this voting question is brought to the level necessary to ensure that all consequences arising from it are addressed, whether there are any or not.

“I don’t see how this would make any difference at all in an election,” Councilman Kent Mitchell said. “Whether it was on the ballot or not, whether you were voting as a write-in or for a council member [Laurie] Faubert, I don’t think it makes any difference to the result.”

McDonald said she was embarrassed to be on the council.

The three incumbent council members were then sworn in: Carter Cole for Council Seat C, Mitchell for Council Seat D and Laurie Faubert for Council Seat G.

Mayor Carter Cole told Alaska’s News Source on Tuesday that the error on the ballot came from the printers, not the city itself. Alaska’s News Source reached out to the elections department but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

The election of the mayor and deputy mayor from the new city council will take place on Monday, October 21st.

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