US court dismisses Justice Department lawsuit over Alaska Senate election — The Hill

Federal Judge Sharon Gleason in Alaska dismissed a lawsuit by President Donald Trump’s administration, which sought to block certification of the US Senate election result if it could have been affected by voter confusion. The lawsuit was connected to the participation in the race of Daniel J. Sullivan, whose name is similar to that of incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, The Hill reports.

The court saw no way to fulfill the demands

The US Department of Justice asked the court to separate ballots cast for Daniel J. Sullivan and not certify results that may have been affected by possible voter deception. The administration argued that the presence of two candidates with similar names on the ballot could cause confusion and help Democrats win a Senate seat.

Gleason noted that the government had not proposed a workable plan to separate such ballots and conduct an unspecified investigation without violating ballot secrecy. The judge also indicated that the ballots had already been prepared and Election Day was scheduled for Tuesday.

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The candidacy was approved by a state court

In addition to the two Sullivans, the ballot lists Democratic Party candidate Mary Peltola. The Alaska Supreme Court had previously allowed Daniel J. Sullivan to run in the election, but the Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit last month.

The Trump administration also claimed that Democrats misled the court after The New York Times published a report that political figures associated with Peltola recruited the second Sullivan to take part in the election. The Hill reported that an investigation had already been launched, while Peltola denied personally knowing about the plan. The judge did not consider these claims in her 20-page ruling. The administration may appeal the decision to the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.