Votes are in on Palmer’s special election, but the results are not official

The poll in Palmer is closed.

But no one will know the fate, at least for a few days, of three members of the city council targeted in a special recall election held Tuesday, April 19.

Sabrena Combs, Brian Daniels and Jill Valerius could lose their council seats over a controversy stirred up when they discussed what amounted to public business with constituents in a social media discussion forum.

The first wave of results has Combs, Daniels and Valerius trailing. The yes votes to recall are 250 for Combs, 253 for Daniels and 248 for Valerius. The no votes for the recall are 149 for Combs, 147 for Daniels and 147 for Valerius, according to the unofficial results posted Tuesday night. This includes the 401 votes counted. But there are still more than 400 to be counted.

Local critics said that was a violation of the state’s open meetings law.

An attorney hired by the city to investigate the matter agreed but no penalties were pressed. Instead, there were recommendations that city council members receive training on the state’s open meetings statute and how social media platforms can be misused, innocently or otherwise.

Nevertheless, local conservative activists mounted a recall effort and amounted a vigorous campaign, charging that the three had conspired in secret through their discussion on social media with Mat-Su Moms for Social Justice, a community group described by critics as Marxist.

For voters used to election-night posting of results the wait may be frustrating but it will take time to sort and validate an unusually large number of ballots cast early, Palmer city manager John Moosey said.

There are also absentee ballots mailed in, so local officials will have to wait for those to be received and counted.

If the three are recalled the empty seats will be filled by appointed members by the remaining four members of the city council. Also, a regular city council election is just months away, also, so voters will be asked to go back to the polls soon.

Leaders of the recall have not explained why they wanted a special election rather than wait for the regular election this fall. The special election cost several thousand dollars, Palmer city clerk Shelly Acteson said.