Democrats, voting-rights groups challenge Trump's bid to block Alaska Senate certification

Key points

• Democratic groups and voting-rights advocates are seeking to join a federal lawsuit to stop the Justice Department from blocking certification of Alaska's U.S. Senate election if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses.
• The Justice Department filed the lawsuit on Oct. 22, and President Donald Trump said he personally ordered it.
• The groups argue the department lacks legal authority to intervene in state-run elections and that blocking certification would disenfranchise Alaska voters.

Democratic groups and voting-rights advocates are asking to join a federal lawsuit aimed at stopping the Justice Department from preventing Alaska from certifying its U.S. Senate election results if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses. The requests were filed Friday by Alaskans for Mary, the campaign of Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and a separate group that includes the League of Women Voters of Alaska, Common Cause and two individual voters.

The Justice Department filed its lawsuit on Oct. 22, seeking an order to stop Alaska from certifying the Senate election if the incumbent loses. President Donald Trump said Friday that he directed the department to file it.

The name confusion at the center

The case involves Daniel J. Sullivan, a non-incumbent challenger whose name is nearly identical to incumbent GOP Sen. Daniel S. Sullivan. Alaska election officials first removed the challenger from the ballot after a complaint from the state Republican Party, but state courts ordered him back on. In June, the Alaska Supreme Court upheld that decision and told officials to clearly distinguish the two candidates. The ballot now identifies Sen. Sullivan as the "incumbent" and a Republican, while the other Sullivan has no party registration.

I'm the one that said 'do it.'

— President Donald Trump

What the groups argue

The groups contend the executive branch has no legal authority to intervene in state-run elections and is attempting an unprecedented override of state election administration while early voting is already underway. Peltola's campaign and the DSCC say the lawsuit threatens their interests because it could stop Peltola from taking office even if she wins under Alaska's ranked-choice system. The League of Women Voters of Alaska and Common Cause filed separately, warning that the department's demand to investigate voter intent poses serious constitutional hazards and offers no mechanism to determine which candidate voters meant to support.

The Democratic groups are seeking defendant-intervenor status so they can seek dismissal of the case. The League of Women Voters of Alaska and Common Cause are asking to join as defendants.