Election Day isn't here, but the ballot battles are

Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the Justice Department’s lawsuit aimed at blocking the certification of Alaska’s Senate election results should Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan lose the race. Speaking on Sunday during appearances on CNN’s "State of the Union" and CBS’s "Face the Nation," Blanche characterized the legal action as a necessary measure to prevent voter confusion caused by two candidates with nearly identical names appearing on the ballot. He stated that the administration is not attempting to overturn state election results in any capacity. The lawsuit, filed on October 22, seeks to delay the official confirmation of the winner if the incumbent defeats Democratic challenger Mary Peltola and votes cast for the other candidate, Dan J. Sullivan, could alter the final tally. The controversy centers on the presence of two men named Dan Sullivan in the closely watched midterm contest. One is Senator Dan S. Sullivan, the Republican incumbent seeking to retain his seat. The other is Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher and former Forest Service employee. Reporting from The New York Times alleged that aides to Peltola’s campaign recruited the second Sullivan in an effort to siphon votes away from the incumbent. While Peltola’s campaign denies any involvement, Blanche asserted that the second Sullivan is running solely to mislead voters. Blanche described the situation as an instance of absolute fraud occurring in Alaska, arguing that the executive branch has a duty to ensure the integrity of the electoral process. During his interview with CNN anchor Dana Bash, Blanche reacted with visible frustration to questions regarding the political motivations behind the suit. When Bash referenced a Truth Social post by President Donald Trump claiming Democrats were attempting to steal a key Republican seat, she asked if Blanche viewed his role as helping Republicans keep the position. Blanche rejected the premise, stating that a president noting irregularities at the polls is fulfilling his constitutional duties rather than engaging in partisan politics. He became increasingly agitated when Bash suggested the administration might be laying the groundwork for a scenario where the president attempts to overturn an unfavorable election result, comparing the potential outcome to the events following January 6. Blanche interrupted her, telling her to stop and asserting that she was not being a real person. He maintained that the Justice Department is acting to remedy specific fraud and confusion, not to subvert democratic processes. President Trump, who said on Friday that he personally authorized the lawsuit, has amplified the dispute by accusing the state of corruption. In remarks to reporters, Trump declared that California is extremely corrupt and implied similar misconduct in other jurisdictions. He specifically blamed Democrats for orchestrating the candidacy of the second Sullivan, calling the tactic illegal and unfair. The White House directed inquiries regarding these claims to Trump’s public statements, while the Justice Department did not respond directly to requests for comment. Beyond Alaska, the 2026 midterms are facing a surge in pre-election legal challenges that experts describe as unusual. Jonathan Diaz of the Campaign Legal Center noted that the volume and nature of these suits, many originating from the federal government, are creating doubt among the public regarding the legitimacy of the election process. Diaz called the current litigation frivolous, describing the California case as a political press release submitted to a court rather than a genuine legal dispute. In California, the Trump administration requested that state officials set aside ballots from approximately 20,000 registered voters suspected of being noncitizens. A federal judge rejected this demand late Wednesday, citing insufficient evidence to justify disenfranchising eligible voters. The judge highlighted that similar claims made against Nevada resulted in officials confirming that 185 flagged individuals were indeed U.S. citizens. In Washington state, two U.S. attorneys’ offices asked state authorities to discard ballots from more than 400 people allegedly registered illegally. Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs criticized the timing of the request, calling it profoundly disappointing given its proximity to Election Day. His office stated that a preliminary review found the federal list included U.S. citizens and was unreliable, demanding individualized proof of ineligibility from prosecutors. North Carolina presents a different administrative challenge, with nearly 4,000 mail-in ballots, representing about 6% of those processed through October 24, flagged for procedural errors. These rejections largely stem from new guidelines issued by the GOP-controlled state Board of Elections, which require the inner ballot envelope to be sealed even if the outer envelope is secure. Hundreds of voters have not yet responded to notifications regarding their invalid ballots, leaving little time to correct the mistakes before deadlines expire. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered an investigation on Wednesday to determine if the recruitment of the second Sullivan violated state law and whether criminal or civil actions are warranted. The second Sullivan, Dan J. Sullivan, has denied any coordination with the Peltola campaign. In a letter to Alaska’s lieutenant governor prior to the primary, he stated he is not a registered Democrat and had no discussions with the opposing campaign. He dismissed allegations of intent to confuse voters as entirely false. As the November 3 election approaches, the interplay between federal legal interventions and state-level administrative decisions continues to shape the landscape of the upcoming midterms.