Alaska Judge Rejects Peltola Ballot-Records Bid as Senate Lead Narrows to 3,975 Votes
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Nov 12
Alaska Judge Rejects Peltola Ballot-Records Bid as Senate Lead Narrows to 3,975 Votes
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Nov 12
Summary
Judge Thomas Matthews denied Mary Peltola’s request for records identifying rejected absentee ballots, calling it unreasonable while Alaska election staff continue processing the 2026 vote.
The state argued the report is not public, would burden the Division of Elections at peak workload, and could expose absentee voters who made mistakes.
With about 86% of expected votes counted and more than 248,000 ballots tallied, Peltola led Sen. Dan Sullivan 48.9% to 47.3%—a margin of 3,975 votes after Wednesday’s ballot drop trimmed her edge.
Neither candidate has cleared 50%, keeping the race headed for ranked-choice tabulation after absentee counting ends around Nov. 18, with certification expected Nov. 25.
Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.’s 4,100 votes and Gerald Heikes’ 5,426 exceed the current margin, making lower-ranked candidates’ second-choice transfers potentially decisive.