WASHINGTON — The U.S. Justice Department filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block Alaska from certifying its U.S. Senate election results if the Republican incumbent loses, citing voter confusion over candidate names.
Republican incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan is defending his Senate seat against Democratic former state Rep. Mary Peltola. According to the litigation filed on Oct. 22, the Republican senator has trailed the challenger while sharing a similar ballot name with another contender in the race, retired schoolteacher Daniel J. Sullivan.
The Justice Department asked the federal court to declare that any outcome influenced by voter confusion would violate protections under the National Voting Rights Act intended to safeguard electoral integrity. The legal filing asks the court to halt state certification pending an investigation.
Neither Alaska's division of elections nor the Peltola campaign immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the lawsuit.
