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DOJ sues to block Alaska Senate certification over ballot corruption

By Drooid · Oct 28, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche filed a lawsuit to block Alaska Senate certification if Dan Sullivan loses.
President Donald Trump directed the Justice Department to file the suit, calling the ballot corrupt.
The League of Women Voters and Common Cause intervened, arguing the DOJ lacks authority.
U.S. District Judge Sharon Gleason scheduled briefings and will rule before Election Day on Nov. 3.

Summary

Department of Justice (DOJ) letters demanded counties segregate ballots within 48 hours, threatening significant federal scrutiny for non-compliance.
Attorney Seth Waxman estimated checking 2.75 million ballots would need 140,000 man-hours, about 16 years.
Dean Logan said the DOJ sent the 20,000-name list after early voting started on Oct 5, leaving no verification time.
A 200-name sample indicated 71.2% lacked voting history and 40% were U.S.-born, implying citizenship.

History

After the 2000 presidential contest left Florida’s result within 537 votes, the U.S. Supreme Court halted the recount on December 12, 2000 by a 5-4 vote in Bush v. Gore, upholding Secretary of State Katherine Harris’s certification for George W. Bush. That decision created a precedent for federal courts to intervene in close elections, shaping later litigation over vote-counting standards.

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After the 2000 presidential contest left Florida’s result within 537 votes, the U.S. Supreme Court halted the recount on December 12, 2000 by a 5-4 vote in Bush v. Gore, upholding Secretary of State Katherine Harris’s certification for George W. Bush. That decision created a precedent for federal courts to intervene in close elections, shaping later litigation over vote-counting standards.

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