DOJ Seeks Court Order to Isolate 18,000 Alaska Ballots in Senate Race

The U.S. Department of Justice requested a court order on Friday to isolate specific ballots in Alaska's Senate race. Federal officials asked a judge to preserve and segregate votes ranking candidate Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. to investigate potential voter confusion. The request seeks a decision by Monday, just one day before the general election.

The ballot dispute centers on a retired teacher from Petersburg, Alaska, who shares a name with two-term Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. The state lists the incumbent as Dan S. Sullivan and the challenger as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. State attorneys argue that separating the ballots is difficult because votes are commingled in boxes on Election Day. They contend that isolating the ballots would not reveal why a voter chose the challenger.

U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman told reporters in Anchorage that a criminal investigation has been underway for several months. He stated that recent reporting by The New York Times caused a surge in law enforcement resources allocated to the state. The report alleged that Peltola's campaign may have recruited the challenger. Heyman did not specify which crimes investigators are examining or name the targets of the probe.

Mary Peltola, the Democratic nominee and former U.S. Representative, denied knowledge of the recruitment effort. Speaking at a rally in Anchorage on Friday, she said she is deeply offended by the accusations. Peltola told local media that she has no idea if a campaign staffer was involved. She noted that certain individuals are gone for a good reason and that she would fire them again if possible.

The Justice Department filed a civil lawsuit last week seeking to block the certification of the race if the incumbent loses. Trump told the department to file the case. In a rally in Florida on Friday, the president suggested that Peltola and the challenger should be prosecuted. He told U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche to make his own decision, and Blanche agreed. The state has asked a judge to dismiss the case, noting that election officials already distinguished the two candidates on the primary and general ballots.

Federal prosecutors issued dozens of grand jury subpoenas and record preservation requests this week. A person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that these actions occurred prior to Friday's public announcements. Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered a separate state investigation into potential violations following the newspaper's report. The Alaska Democratic Party also filed a lawsuit claiming absentee voting sites in rural communities did not open as advertised.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals recently rejected a similar DOJ request in California regarding 20,000 disputed ballots. In the Alaska filing, Justice Department attorneys described a substantial risk that the similar names will mislead voters. They stated the goal is to ensure the electoral process maintains integrity. State officials maintain that the ranked choice system allows voters to rank both candidates, reducing the chance of confusion.