Peltola Campaign Sues Alaska Election Officials Over Rejected Absentee Ballot Records as Tight Senate Race Continues

Juneau: The campaign of Democratic US Senate candidate Mary Peltola has filed a lawsuit against Alaska’s election officials, seeking the immediate release of records identifying absentee ballots rejected in Tuesday’s election, as she remains locked in a narrow contest with incumbent Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan.

Around 600 votes separate the two candidates, with ballots from Alaska’s remote communities still being counted. Given the slim margin, the outcome may depend on mailed ballots and those being flown in from distant areas of the vast state. Alaska will continue accepting ballots until November 18.

Democrats secured control of the US Senate in a sweeping nationwide victory in the midterm elections. The undecided races in Alaska and Mississippi will determine whether the party can expand its current 54-seat majority in the 100-member chamber.

The lawsuit, filed on Friday by Peltola’s campaign group, Alaskans for Mary, names the Alaska Division of Elections, Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom and Director of Elections Carol Beecher as defendants. It seeks records of rejected absentee ballots along with the reasons for their rejection. According to the campaign, it requested the records under Alaska’s Public Records Act on October 27 and again on Wednesday, but received no response and was subsequently denied immediate access.

The plaintiffs have also asked the court for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to compel the release of the records, stressing that the matter is urgent as ballot counting and certification are already in progress. The filing contends that without prompt access, the campaign would be unable to verify whether ballots are being counted correctly or whether Peltola’s supporters had their ballots wrongly rejected.

Responding to the lawsuit, the state Department of Law, which represents the Lieutenant Governor and the Division of Elections, stated that the Division has long treated such records as confidential and that state law does not require their disclosure. The department explained that because the information is preliminary, subject to change and not yet available to the affected voters, the Division neither distributes it separately nor allows observers to keep copies.

The department further warned that releasing the information in the manner sought could place additional burdens on election staff during ballot processing and potentially delay the counting of votes. It added that the Division has safeguarded this information for years and would ask the court to uphold that protection.

Sullivan’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.