RismadarVoice Reporters
November 1, 2026
Alaska’s Republican-led government has urged a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump’s administration seeking to delay certification of the state’s Senate election results under certain circumstances.
In a court filing submitted on Saturday, state officials described the Justice Department’s legal challenge as lacking merit and argued that its proposed handling of ballots would threaten voters’ constitutional protections and ballot secrecy.
The dispute centres on Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan, who is seeking re-election against Democratic candidate Mary Peltola, and another candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan, whose similar name has raised concerns about possible voter confusion.
The Justice Department alleges that the presence of two candidates with similar names could affect the election outcome if voters mistakenly select the challenger instead of the incumbent senator.
It has sought measures that could delay certification if the incumbent loses and votes cast for the other Sullivan are considered potentially decisive.
Federal prosecutors have also requested that ballots ranking Daniel J. Sullivan be preserved and separated for possible investigation.
However, Alaska officials rejected the proposal, arguing that identifying and separating such ballots would be impractical without compromising voter privacy.
The state maintained that election officials had already taken steps to distinguish the candidates clearly on the ballot, including identifying the incumbent senator by his party affiliation and office.
It also pointed out that the Alaska Supreme Court had previously ruled that Daniel J. Sullivan was legally entitled to contest the election.
The controversy intensified following a New York Times investigation alleging that individuals associated with Peltola’s campaign participated in efforts to recruit candidates who could draw votes away from the Republican incumbent.
Peltola has denied involvement in recruiting the rival candidate.
The Justice Department subsequently amended its lawsuit and opened a criminal investigation into the alleged recruitment activities.
However, the allegations have not resulted in a finding of criminal wrongdoing.
Alaska officials argued that the federal government’s concerns did not provide sufficient legal grounds to interfere with the state’s responsibility for conducting elections and certifying results.
The case is before US District Judge Sharon Gleason, who is considering requests to dismiss the lawsuit ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
The dispute has drawn attention to the boundaries of federal authority over state-administered elections and the safeguards surrounding ballot secrecy.
As the legal proceedings continue, Alaska officials maintain that voters should be allowed to participate in the election without uncertainty over whether the results will be certified.
