Judge dismisses federal suit on Alaska vote

U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason rejected the Trump administration's effort to pause the certification of Alaska's U.S. Senate election results. The ruling was issued on Sunday. The federal government sought a court order to stop state officials from certifying the vote. The suit aimed to create time for an investigation into potential voter confusion on the ballot.

The lawsuit argued that the presence of two candidates with similar names could mislead voters. One candidate is Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan. The other is Daniel Sullivan Jr., an independent candidate. The Justice Department cited the preamble of the National Voter Registration Act to support its claim.

Judge Gleason found that the federal government did not have the legal ability to bring the case. She concluded that the requested court order would likely violate the right to a secret ballot. The judge noted that the government did not explain how it could address the alleged injury while keeping the ballot secret.

The absence of any explanation from the United States as to how its requested relief could redress its alleged injury while simultaneously maintaining the secrecy of the ballot is telling, Gleason wrote in the ruling. She is a nominee of former President Barack Obama.

The Justice Department plans to appeal the decision. Spokesperson Kiersten Pels told NPR in a statement that Alaskan voters deserve a fair election. She added that voters should not be misled in an attempt to rig outcomes.

Sophia Lin Lakin, director of the American Civil Liberties Union's Voting Rights Project, praised the ruling. She called the Department of Justice's attempt to throw out results before counting a lawless move. Lakin described the lawsuit as a reckless waste of taxpayer money aimed at silencing hundreds of thousands of Alaska voters.

President Trump said he ordered the lawsuit to be filed because of the similar names on the ballot. The Alaska Republican Party had previously tried to keep Daniel Sullivan Jr. off the ballot in state court. The Alaska Supreme Court ruled in June that Sullivan Jr. has the right to run.

Republican claims that Democrats propped up Sullivan Jr. to spoil the incumbent's chances have persisted. A New York Times report on Democratic campaign operatives' efforts to recruit Sullivan Jr. drew new attention to the issue. NPR has not independently confirmed the details in that report.

Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has ordered an investigation into the race. He indicated that state certification may be delayed depending on the findings. During an Oct. 30 interview with NewsNation, Dunleavy said that if wrongdoing is found, the certification process may stop or change.

U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman said there is an ongoing criminal probe by the Justice Department. He made the statement at an Oct. 30 press conference in Anchorage. Democratic candidate Mary Peltola, a former representative, has denied any involvement in the recruitment of Sullivan Jr.

Senator Dan Sullivan said in a Sunday interview with CNN's State of the Union that he would accept the election results regardless of the outcome. More than 86,700 voters have cast ballots during early voting in Alaska. The state's Division of Elections expects more voters to participate as voting continues through Election Day on Tuesday.