Alaska Governor Orders Investigation Into Senate Ballot Dispute

Alaska residents will face a scrutinized ballot on Tuesday as state officials move to investigate a controversy surrounding the U.S. Senate race. Governor Mike Dunleavy ordered the Department of Public Safety to examine whether a second candidate with the same name as the Republican incumbent violated state laws. The governor asked investigators to determine if criminal charges or civil action are warranted.

The dispute centers on a report that Democratic aides recruited a non-incumbent named Dan Sullivan. This candidate appears on the ballot alongside incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan. The New York Times reported that Democratic strategists aimed to confuse voters and draw support away from the GOP officeholder. Both the campaign of Democrat Mary Peltola and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee denied involvement. They reiterated these denials after the story broke.

The race is a toss-up that could decide which party controls the Senate next year. Peltola, a former congresswoman, seeks to flip the seat for her party. The non-incumbent Sullivan advanced to the general election through Alaska’s nonpartisan primary system. The Alaska Supreme Court allowed him to remain on the ballot in June after state officials probed his candidacy.

Republican leaders reacted quickly to the news. Nate Adams, a spokesperson for Sen. Sullivan, accused the Peltola campaign of denying a scheme it had run for months. President Donald Trump posted online that the situation constituted voter fraud at the highest level. The Justice Department filed an amended complaint on Thursday. It cited the new reporting as a reason to expand its investigation into the race.

Federal officials had previously asked a court to delay certification of the results if the incumbent lost by a small margin. They argued that the duplicate names could cause voter confusion. Election law experts criticized that legal effort as weak because the Constitution grants states control over elections. The DOJ stated that the recent reporting gives it more options for its inquiry.

Experts note that campaign trickery is common and difficult to legislate against. Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, described such maneuvers as standard fare in modern politics. Some voters compared the situation to Republican spending on a Democratic federal prisoner who is on the U.S. House ballot in Alaska. The ballot identifies which Sullivan is the Republican incumbent.

Alaska uses a ranked-choice voting system in the general election. Voters can rank both Sullivans to prevent either from winning outright. The state’s unique election system is also on the ballot for voters to approve or reject. Mixed reactions emerged from residents, with some frustrated by the distraction and others skeptical that voters would be confused by the duplicate names.