Peltola Campaign Initiates Legal Action Over Alaska Ballot Records

The campaign for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola has filed a lawsuit against the Alaska Division of Elections, seeking immediate access to records regarding rejected absentee ballots. As the race against Republican incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan remains extremely tight—separated by approximately 600 votes—the campaign argues that obtaining this information is essential to ensure that all lawful votes are accurately counted and that supporters are not improperly disenfranchised. The legal filing asserts that the state’s refusal to provide these documents violates the Alaska Public Records Act.

In its complaint, the campaign, operating under the name Alaskans for Mary, requested a register detailing which absentee ballots have been rejected and the specific reasons for those rejections. The legal team contends that they cannot verify the integrity of the vote count without this transparency. The lawsuit also includes a request for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to compel the state to release the records immediately, citing the urgency of the ongoing ballot processing and the approaching certification deadlines.

State officials have pushed back against the legal challenge, maintaining that the requested information is preliminary and has historically been treated as confidential. The Alaska Department of Law stated that the Division of Elections is not required by state law to release such records before the final certification of the election. According to the state, providing this data at this stage would impose significant administrative burdens and could potentially delay the official counting process.

Furthermore, the state noted that while authorized observers are permitted to view certain records under strict confidentiality agreements during the review process, the division does not allow these records to be retained or distributed separately. Officials emphasized that voters whose ballots are rejected are typically notified via mail, though this process occurs after the election results are finalized. As the legal battle unfolds, the Division of Elections continues its work, with further updates to the vote tallies expected in the coming days.