Federal Judge Blocks DOJ From Halting Alaska Senate Certification
A federal court ruling strips the government of standing to intervene in the state's final vote count, clearing a path for official results despite ongoing disputes over candidate names.
By Jack Weber ·
Alaskan voters can now expect their Senate ballots to be counted and certified without federal interference, a move that removes a major procedural hurdle from the state's election process. On Sunday, a federal judge ruled against the Trump administration, blocking its effort to pause the official certification of results if the Republican incumbent loses the race.
U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason issued the decision, determining that the federal government lacks the legal standing to bring the lawsuit. The administration had relied on the preamble of the National Voter Registration Act to argue for an injunction. The government sought to stop state officials from certifying the vote so it could investigate potential confusion caused by two candidates with similar names appearing on the ranked-choice ballot.
Gleason concluded that halting the certification would likely infringe on the right to a secret ballot. She noted that the United States failed to explain how its requested relief would fix the alleged injury while preserving ballot secrecy. "The absence of any explanation from the United States as to how its requested relief could redress its alleged injury while simultaneously maintaining the secrecy of the ballot is telling," Gleason wrote. She is a nominee of former President Barack Obama.
The Justice Department plans to appeal the ruling. Spokesperson Kiersten Pels told NPR that Alaskan voters deserve a fair election and should not be misled in an attempt to rig outcomes. In contrast, voting rights groups that assisted in defending the state celebrated the decision. Sophia Lin Lakin, director of the ACLU's Voting Rights Project, stated in a statement that the Department of Justice's attempt to throw out the results before a single ballot was counted was lawless from the start. She called the move a reckless waste of taxpayer money aimed at silencing hundreds of thousands of voters.
President Trump said he ordered the lawsuit because Sen. Dan Sullivan, the Republican incumbent, and Daniel Sullivan Jr., a non-affiliated candidate, share a similar name. Alaska's Republican Party previously supported a state court effort to keep Sullivan Jr. off the ballot, but the Alaska Supreme Court ruled in June that he has the right to run. Allegations that Democrats supported Sullivan Jr. to spoil the incumbent's chances have persisted, drawing new attention after a New York Times report on recruitment efforts. The outlet's report has not been independently confirmed.
Governor Mike Dunleavy has ordered an investigation into the race and indicated that certification may depend on the findings. He told NewsNation on Oct. 30 that if wrongdoing is found, certification could be stopped or changed. U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman stated at a press conference in Anchorage on the same day that an ongoing criminal probe by the Justice Department is underway. Former Rep. Mary Peltola, the Democratic candidate, has denied any involvement in the controversy.
The legal fight has not halted voter participation. According to the Alaska Division of Elections, more than 86,700 voters have cast ballots during early voting. Voting continues through Tuesday, Election Day. Incumbent Sullivan said in a Sunday interview with CNN's State of the Union that he would accept the election results, win or lose.
