Blanche Defends DOJ Bid to Block Alaska Senate Certification as Election Nears in 9 Days
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Oct 25
Blanche Defends DOJ Bid to Block Alaska Senate Certification as Election Nears in 9 Days
3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Oct 25
Summary
Todd Blanche said the Justice Department’s lawsuit targeting Alaska’s Senate certification is a preemptive step to preserve ballots if voter confusion emerges over two candidates named Dan Sullivan.
Trump said Friday, “I’m the one that said ‘do it,’” while Blanche declined to say whether the president directly ordered the filing and rejected comparisons to efforts to overturn past election results.
The case could let a court review whether ballot confusion violated election law if GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan loses, despite Blanche’s earlier statement that DOJ did not intend to enter midterm certification fights.
The Alaska suit lands as the administration also presses a separate California voter-roll case, widening concern about federal intervention in state election administration just over a week before Election Day.
Could a looming court ruling on ballot verification redefine the boundaries of state and federal election control?
DOJ’s Unprecedented Lawsuit Seeks to Delay Alaska Senate Results Over Ballot Name Dispute, Igniting Federalism Crisis
Overview
Alaska’s U.S. Senate race became a national controversy when Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. entered as a candidate with a nearly identical name to incumbent Dan S. Sullivan, sparking complaints and legal battles over ballot confusion. After state courts allowed Sullivan Jr. to remain on the ballot and election officials made clear distinctions between the candidates, President Trump directed the Department of Justice to file a lawsuit just days before the election, seeking to block certification if the vote margin was close. Legal experts and Alaska leaders from both parties condemned the lawsuit as weak, intrusive, and damaging to the DOJ’s credibility, while the move energized local voters and united opposition to federal interference.