DOJ pushes to isolate Alaska ballots in Peltola probe

The Department of Justice (DOJ) pushed to isolate some Alaska ballots as part of a probe into whether the presence of two candidates with the same name could confuse voters in the state, a Friday court filing shows.

The investigation centers around reporting by The New York Times that Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign recruited a man with the same name as her Republican opponent, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R), to enter Alaska’s Senate race and potentially confuse voters. Peltola’s campaign has denied any involvement.

Now, the DOJ is requesting any ballots which rank Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., the other candidate, to be separated out as part of the investigation.

“There is a substantial risk that Mr. Sullivan’s sham candidacy will mislead voters and ultimately result in an electoral process that lacks integrity,” the court filing reads. “To guard against this danger, the United States seeks an order directing Defendants to preserve and segregate all ballots ranking Daniel J. Sullivan for the purposes of investigating whether such ranking was the product of voter confusion.”

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