Alaska Senate election certification challenged in federal lawsuit over duplicate name

The federal government has initiated legal action against election authorities in Alaska, demanding that they withhold certification of the forthcoming U.S. Senate race results if the incumbent Republican senator is defeated.

In court documents submitted to a federal bench, lawyers representing the Department of Justice asserted that having Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. on the ballot could confuse voters attempting to cast their ballots for the incumbent, Senator Daniel S. Sullivan. The lawsuit requests an injunction preventing state officials from certifying the outcome if the sitting senator loses, provided that shifting all votes from the challenger to the incumbent would have handed him victory under the state's ranked-choice voting system.

Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward stated in the court filing that the federal challenge was submitted to safeguard the credibility of the election contest. A spokesperson for the agency told NBC News that the competing campaign was designed to deceive citizens and compromise ballot fairness, adding that the department acted under provisions of the National Voter Registration Act.

The complaint arrives less than two weeks before voters head to the polls. Legal analysts and past officials have noted that the administration of federal elections is traditionally reserved for state and municipal administrators. Former federal official Justin Levitt pointed out to NBC News that existing statutory frameworks provide no authority for the Justice Department to contest ballot lineups or halt official state certification.

On the day the legal challenge was entered, Attorney General Todd Blanche remarked to journalists that the federal agency does not seek to unlawfully meddle in voting or state validation procedures, while acknowledging that extraordinary circumstances could prompt federal intervention.

The challenger, a former educator, advanced from Alaska's multi-party primary in August by securing 2.5 percent of the tally. In that contest, Democratic contender Mary Peltola finished first with 49.5 percent, while Senator Sullivan captured 41.4 percent.

State election authorities previously attempted to remove Sullivan Jr. over concerns regarding his filings, but judicial rulings in Alaska allowed him to stay in the race. Printed materials for the upcoming election attempt to distinguish the two men, marking the sitting lawmaker as an incumbent Republican under the name Dan S. Sullivan, while his opponent appears without party backing as Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.

Republicans along with President Donald Trump have condemned the rival candidate, characterizing him as a spoiler intended to siphon support from the incumbent. The challenger previously told the press that his bid is entirely independent and legitimate, while a spokesperson for Peltola previously maintained that her organization has zero ties to his campaign.