Alaska asks federal judge to drop Trump suit over Senate ballot confusion
State officials argue the Justice Department's demand to segregate ballots is impossible, three days before voters cast their ballots.
By Amelia Foster ·
Alaska state officials asked a federal judge on Saturday to permanently dismiss a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration. The suit seeks to block the certification of the state's Senate race if incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan loses.
The filing argues that the federal government is demanding relief that is not possible given the state's rules on voter privacy. "The relief demanded is inappropriate and not even possible given Alaskans' vital right to ballot secrecy," the document stated.
The Justice Department filed the original complaint on October 22. It claims that Democratic candidate Mary Peltola's campaign helped recruit a retired teacher named Dan J. Sullivan to run in the race. Officials argue this created confusion that could steal votes intended for the incumbent. Peltola has denied being involved in the recruitment.
State leaders criticized the legal basis for the federal intervention. They noted that election certification is a state responsibility and that the Alaska Supreme Court approved the second Sullivan's name on the ballot months ago. The filing said state officials designed the ballot to minimize voter confusion.
The administration proposed that election workers physically separate ballots ranking Dan J. Sullivan. Alaska officials called this idea "unexplained" and "disturbing." The filing stated that it would be easy to identify which ballots rank the retired teacher regardless of how they are stored.
The dispute intensifies as the general election approaches on Tuesday. The Trump administration amended its complaint this week to cite a New York Times report. The article alleged Peltola knew about the recruitment of Dan J. Sullivan. The former campaign manager who made those claims later tried to retract her statements.
Peltola addressed the crowd at a rally on Friday night. She said she was "so deeply offended" by the accusations and did not need help defeating the incumbent. Sullivan countered in a Fox News interview on Saturday, calling the situation "deception." He said the effort shows disdain for Alaskans who are trying to cast a vote.
Source: NBC News
