Judge rejects DOJ bid to delay Alaska Senate certification over duplicate names

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 suit aimed to pause official counting if incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan lost, citing potential voter confusion caused by a second candidate with a similar name.

The Department of Justice argued that the presence of two Dan Sullivans on the ballot would siphon support from the incumbent. The federal team proposed segregating ballots cast for Daniel J. Sullivan and conducting a court-ordered investigation of those votes. Judge Gleason ruled that the federal government does not have the power to force Alaska to separate and examine specific ballots in this three-way contest.

The dispute centers on a race involving incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan, Democrat Mary Peltola, and independent candidate Daniel J. Sullivan. Analysts view this contest as one of the closest in the upcoming midterms, where control of Congress will be decided. The election is scheduled for Tuesday.

Judge Gleason noted that the United States provided no workable plan for how it would segregate the ballots while preserving voter secrecy. She wrote that Alaskan voters have a right to a secret ballot. She added that the justice department's move came too late, as the election is only days away and many voters have already cast ballots through early or postal voting.

The justice department said it would file an appeal following the ruling. In a statement, the department claimed 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 statement asserted that Alaskan voters deserve a fair election and should not be misled in an attempt to rig outcomes.

President Donald Trump said last month that he directed the justice department to file the suit. He told reporters that one candidate is Daniel S. and the other is Daniel J., calling the latter the fake. Daniel J. Sullivan, who runs without a party affiliation, previously told The New York Times that he has voted for both Democrats and Republicans in the past.

Senator Dan S. Sullivan and his allies have accused Democrats of trying to confuse voters. Last week, The New York Times reported that members of Peltola's team worked with people who attempted to recruit spoiler candidates. Peltola denied knowing about an alleged scheme that led to the two Dan Sullivans standing in the race.