Trump administration sues to block potential Alaska election results

The Trump administration filed a lawsuit against the state of Alaska on Thursday, asking a federal court to intervene in the state’s U.S. Senate race if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses his reelection bid due to alleged voter confusion. The lawsuit accuses an alternate candidate of the same name, Daniel J. Sullivan, of entering the race simply in order to confuse voters and siphon votes away from the incumbent senator.

Sen. Dan Sullivan, in office since 2015, is running for a third term on Nov. 3, and his main opponent is Democrat Mary Peltola. Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired school teacher, is also running for the seat, with no designated party affiliation.

What’s the basis for the lawsuit? The Trump administration argues that if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses his reelection bid, then it is likely due to voter confusion over which Dan is which. Alaska uses a ranked-choice voting system that eliminates candidates in rounds if no one candidate receives 50% of the initial vote. While it is unlikely that Daniel J. Sullivan will win the election, the lawsuit argues the votes may be split enough so that Peltola, the Democrat, could gain an advantage and win.

Alaska has an obligation to protect the integrity of the election under federal law, according to the lawsuit. If Dan Sullivan loses by the number of votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan, the lawsuit requests the state delay certifying the vote results until after an investigation determines whether votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan were meant to be cast for the incumbent. It did not describe how such an investigation would take place.

Asked about the lawsuit this week, President Donald Trump told reporters that Daniel J. Sullivan was a fake candidate.

How will their names appear on the ballot? Sen. Dan Sullivan will appear as “Sullivan, Dan S. (Registered Republican) Incumbent,” according to the state’s sample ballots. The retired teacher Sullivan will appear on the ballot as “Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.”

Has Daniel J. Sullivan addressed the controversy? He said in a telephone interview with Associated Press earlier this year that his candidacy is not a sham and Democrats didn’t put him up to it. A spokesman for the Peltola campaign also told the AP that it denies any involvement with Daniel J. Sullivan’s run.