Federal Judge Rejects DOJ Attempt to Interfere in Alaska Senate Vote Count
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A federal judge threw out the Justice Department’s effort to segregate ballots and stall certification in the Alaska Senate race, ruling that the federal government had no standing and warning that the move would trample voter secrecy and election rights.
A federal judge has dismissed the Justice Department's lawsuit aimed at segregating ballots and delaying the certification of the Alaska Senate race, underscoring that the federal government had no standing to insert itself into this dispute. US District Judge Sharon Gleason said the proposed move would violate voters' right to a secret ballot and stressed that it is far too late for the courts to impose major election changes at the last minute.
The Trump administration had argued that the presence of a spoiler candidate with the same name as GOP incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan justified a court-ordered investigation if Sullivan were to lose. Judge Gleason sharply criticized that plan, saying, "The United States provides no workable plan as to how it proposes to segregate ballots... in a manner that would preserve voter secrecy."
This ruling adds to a growing string of legal defeats for the Trump administration as it tries to meddle in state voting processes ahead of the midterm elections. After the decision, the Justice Department quickly filed a notice of appeal. A spokesperson for the department insisted that "Alaskan voters deserve a fair election, not to be misled in an attempt to rig outcomes."
While speaking to reporters, Trump called the DOJ's case "one of the most meritful things" and a "very important lawsuit," even though he was not aware of the ruling at the time. Meanwhile, courts have already limited the administration's attempts to pursue alleged voter fraud and have restricted the DOJ's power to threaten local election officials over noncitizen voting.
In the Alaska Senate race, Democrat Mary Peltola is challenging Sullivan, with recent reports suggesting Democratic involvement in his candidacy. The state's Republican governor has launched an investigation and said he may oppose certification based on its findings. Opponents of the DOJ lawsuit, including Alaska officials and advocacy groups, argued that the matter had already been settled in state court and that there was no evidence voters were confused by the ballot identifiers for the two candidates named Sullivan. Judge Gleason concluded that segregating the ballots would likely create even more confusion and could discourage people from voting.