Judge Rejects DOJ Bid to Delay Alaska Senate Certification

U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed the Justice Department’s lawsuit on November 1, rejecting its effort to have Alaska separate ballots cast for another candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan and potentially delay certification of the Senate race. The election is scheduled for November 3, with control of the Senate at stake and early voting underway.

Judge Blocks DOJ Effort to Challenge Alaska Election Ballots

A federal judge on November 1 rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to subject Alaska voters’ ballots to an investigation and potentially hold up certification of a closely watched Senate election. The Justice Department sought to separate votes for Daniel J. Sullivan, a candidate with a name similar to Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan, arguing voters could be confused. The race against Democrat Mary Peltola is scheduled for November 3, with Senate control at stake.

Judge Sharon Gleason said the government had offered no workable way to investigate the ballots while preserving voter secrecy. Many Alaskans had already voted, she noted, making the requested relief infeasible. The ruling prevents the federal government from using this lawsuit to delay certification, while the state’s election proceeds under its existing rules.

The case puts a basic democratic safeguard at the center of the dispute: voters must be able to cast secret ballots without having their choices exposed to law enforcement scrutiny. The Justice Department’s argument rested on an alleged scheme to confuse voters, but Peltola and her campaign have denied involvement in recruiting the second Sullivan. The election’s outcome will be decided by voters, not by a federal effort to isolate their ballots.

Judge Tosses DOJ Case Without Settling Alaska Ballot Concerns

A federal judge dismissed the Justice Department’s lawsuit on November 1, ending its bid to separate ballots for Daniel J. Sullivan and potentially delay certification of Alaska’s Senate race. The case centered on the possibility that voters might confuse him with Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, who faces Democrat Mary Peltola on November 3 in a contest with Senate control at stake.

Judge Sharon Gleason said the administration had not explained how it could investigate the ballots while protecting voter secrecy, and found its requested remedy unworkable. That is a ruling about the government’s proposed legal path, not a finding that the concern about voter confusion was false. The election will proceed with both candidates on the ballot.

The incumbent and his allies have accused Democrats of recruiting the second Sullivan to divert votes, while Peltola and her campaign deny involvement. A former Peltola campaign manager told The New York Times that she and Democratic Senate Campaign Committee staff were involved, then later retracted her statements. Dan Sullivan has said he expects to accept the election results. Voters, rather than a court-ordered ballot investigation, will decide the race.