Federal judge dismisses Justice Department suit over Alaska Senate ballot

A federal judge on Sunday dismissed a Justice Department lawsuit seeking to block the certification of Alaska’s U.S. Senate race if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses, ruling that the government’s request for relief was infeasible because many voters had already cast their ballots in the ranked-choice election.

The lawsuit, filed less than two weeks before the November 3 election, sought to investigate whether votes cast for retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan were intended for the senator, a concern driven by fears that a similarly named candidate would siphon votes from the incumbent. U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason wrote that the United States provided no workable plan to segregate ballots and conduct an investigation while preserving voter secrecy.

The Justice Department filed a notice shortly after the ruling stating it would appeal the decision, with a spokesperson arguing that Alaskan voters deserve a fair election and should not be misled. The case had been opposed by the state of Alaska and the campaign of Democrat Mary Peltola, who argued the lawsuit lacked legal basis and amounted to election interference.

The dispute centers on the presence of Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher who shares the incumbent’s name, on the general election ballot. While state courts had previously rejected efforts to block the retired teacher from the primary ballot, the federal suit aimed to prevent the certification of the race if the senator lost, a move critics said ran counter to the Constitution’s grant of election authority to the states.

Read the full story at wtop.com.