Alaska judge blocks federal bid to split ballots in Senate race

US District Judge Sharon Gleason dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration that sought to delay the certification of results in Alaska's Senate race. The federal court found that the Department of Justice did not have the authority to force state officials to segregate and investigate specific ballots in the three-way contest.

The lawsuit targeted the presence of two candidates with similar names on the ballot: incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan and unaffiliated Daniel J. Sullivan. The Justice Department argued that having both men listed as "Dan Sullivan" would create voter confusion and potentially shift support away from the incumbent. The suit proposed a process to separate ballots cast for Daniel J. Sullivan and subject them to a court-ordered investigation.

In her ruling, Judge Gleason stated that the federal government provided no workable plan to segregate those ballots while preserving voter secrecy. She noted that Alaskan voters hold a right to a secret ballot and that the proposed intervention was too late in the cycle, with many voters having already cast ballots via early voting or mail. The judge concluded that the federal government's authority did not extend to this specific intervention in the state election.

The Alaska Senate seat is considered one of the closest races in the midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress for the final two years of President Donald Trump's term. The race pits the incumbent Republican against Democrat Mary Peltola and the unaffiliated challenger. Analysts view the margin in this state as a key indicator of the national political shift.

Following the dismissal, the Justice Department announced it would file an appeal. In a statement, the department said the court dismissed the case on procedural grounds but did not dispute the argument that Daniel J. Sullivan entered the race as a frivolous candidate to confuse voters. The department claimed Alaskan voters deserve a fair election and should not be misled in an attempt to rig outcomes.

President Trump directed the Justice Department to file the suit last month. He described the unaffiliated candidate as a "fake" to reporters, noting the difference between Daniel S. Sullivan and Daniel J. Sullivan. The unaffiliated candidate previously told The New York Times that he has voted for both major parties in past elections. Senator Sullivan and his allies accused Democrats of attempting to confuse voters, a claim Peltola denied after reports surfaced that her team worked with individuals who recruited spoiler candidates.

The dismissal removes the immediate federal obstacle to certifying the results, leaving the election to proceed under standard state procedures. The Justice Department's appeal will keep the legal dispute active in the federal courts.