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Peltola Campaign Sues Alaska for Absentee Ballot Records

Updated 9:13 AM ET · 9:40 AM ETConfirmedShare via:          

Politics Desk

In Short: The campaign of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola sued Alaska elections officials on Friday to obtain records of absentee ballots.

Mary Peltola Congressional Member Portrait.

Alaska Senate Race Explained: Peltola vs. Sullivan, 637 Votes and the Nov. 18 Ranked-Choice Count. Ballot Brief

The Peltola campaign filed a lawsuit against the Alaska Division of Elections, seeking access to records showing whether absentee ballots for specific individuals are likely to be accepted or rejected.

According to the lawsuit, the Division of Elections rejected the campaign's requests for a copy of the Absentee Register, which shows the 'accept or reject code' of returned absentee ballots.

The campaign argues that without this information, they cannot ensure that their voters' lawful votes were properly counted.

The lawsuit claims that no Alaska statute protects the requested information from disclosure and that the campaign followed up after Election Day but received no response.

The Peltola campaign is seeking a copy of the register showing why each absentee ballot was rejected and who cast it.

The Division of Elections maintains that releasing preliminary information would create additional burdens during ballot processing and could delay the timely counting of votes.

The campaign is asking an Anchorage court to order the immediate release of the records, arguing that access is necessary to ensure eligible voters' ballots are properly counted.

The race between Peltola and Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan remains undecided, with Peltola leading by about 637 votes as of Saturday.

The lawsuit is the latest sign that the campaigns are preparing for legal skirmishes to resolve Alaska’s U.S. Senate race.

The elections division is still waiting to count tens of thousands of ballots, some of which have not yet been received.

The campaign also asked that the state be ordered to cover the campaign’s costs and attorneys’ fees.

The lawsuit is part of a larger controversy surrounding Peltola's campaign, which has been accused of recruiting a candidate with the same name as her opponent to dilute support for Sen. Dan Sullivan.

Background

What's confirmed

• Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign on Friday sued Alaska elections officials in an attempt to get access to records involving absentee ballots in Tuesday’s general election, asserting that the state is violating the Alaska Public Records Act.
• According to the lawsuit, the Division of Elections rejected requests by the Peltola campaign, first made on Oct. 27 to the agency’s regional offices, to receive a copy of the Absentee Register showing the “accept or reject code” of returned absentee ballots in the election, or other documents showing voters’ identities and the reason their ballots were rejected.
• “The campaign is ensuring transparency, timeliness, and accuracy as the counting process continues and every Alaskans’ voice is heard,” the Peltola campaign said in statement about the lawsuit.
• “No Alaska statute protects the requested information from disclosure,” according to the campaign’s requests, which are included as attachments in the complaint.
• The Peltola campaign is “seeking access to preliminary absentee ballot information” that shows whether absentee ballots for specific individuals are likely to be accepted or rejected — preliminary data that the division has long treated as confidential, said the statement provided by Department of Law spokesperson Sam Curtis.
• The move is intended to ensure Democratic voters aren’t unduly disqualified, the campaign said in court filings and a statement Mary Peltola greets supporters on election night, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026 at a Mary Peltola watch party in downtown Anchorage. (Photo by Loren Holmes/Alaska Beacon) The campaign of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola sued the Alaska Division of Elections on Friday in an attempt to make public the names of Alaskans whose absentee ballots have been rejected by the division.
• 18, meaning the division’s multipartisan review boards have not yet decided whether to reject or accept many ballots.
• Division of Elections staff make an initial determination on whether or not to accept an absentee ballot, but a final decision isn’t made until after Election Day because the division checks to see whether an absentee voter went to the polls instead.
• The campaign “cannot ensure that its voters' lawful votes were properly counted without knowing whose absentee ballots were rejected or questioned, and why,” the lawsuit said.
• Mary Peltola’s campaign sued Alaska election officials on Friday seeking the immediate release of records identifying absentee ballots rejected in Tuesday’s voting, with the contest still undecided and about 600 votes separating Peltola and incumbent Senator Dan S.
• Home » Peltola campaign sues Alaska for preliminary absentee ballot records Nov. 6. 2026 – Mary Peltola’s US Senate campaign sued Alaska election officials Friday, asking a judge to order the release of records showing which absentee ballots were flagged for rejection and why.
• The campaign is asking an Anchorage court to order the immediate release of the records, arguing that access is necessary to ensure eligible voters’ ballots are properly counted and to determine whether any of Peltola’s supporters were improperly disenfranchised.

What's still developing

• Senate race and Mississippi’s are the only two that remain uncalled.
• On Election Day, the Sullivan campaign and the National Republican Senatorial Committee established a recount fund.
• The Reuters account said the undecided Senate races in Alaska and Mississippi will determine whether Democrats can expand on their 54-seat majority in the 100-member chamber, and it described the Alaska contest as hinging on ballots from remote areas.
• Published 7 Nov 2026, 12:37 UTC Updated 7 Nov 2026, 12:40 UTC Photo : U.S.
• Alaskans for Mary sued the Alaska Division of Elections, Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom, and Director of Elections Carol Beecher, arguing that the race could hinge on ballots mailed or flown in from remote communities and that the state will accept ballots up to November 18.
• THE ALASKA STORY Nov. 6, 2026 – Thirty-four Alaska National Guard members are serving in THE ALASKA STORY Nov. 6, 2026 – President Donald Trump announced Friday that Deputy White By SUZANNE DOWNING Nov. 6, 2026 – When Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins first ran for office, he No government agency ever releases records to the public during an ongoing investigation by that agency.
• The Division draws a distinction between letting authorized observers inspect records during a review and giving campaigns copies to keep.
• Its attorneys argue that Alaska’s rules allowing designated observers to attend absentee ballot reviews weigh in favor of disclosure.
• Mailed ballots and those flown in from remote communities in Alaska could decide the race and will determine whether Democrats can build on their 54-seat majority in the upper chamber as part of their sweeping midterm victory.
• “If the ranked-choice voting tabulation took place today of the votes that we have in hand right now, Senator Dan Sullivan would defeat Mary Peltola 105,037 to 104,709, a margin of 328 votes,” the campaign said.
• Under Alaska's ranked-choice rules, voters’ second and third picks will be added to Sen. Sullivan’s or Peltola’s tallies since no candidate won more than 50 percent of first-choice votes, the incumbent’s campaign said.
• By SUZANNE DOWNING Nov. 7, 2026 – Alaska’s legislative power shift is taking shape before By SUZANNE DOWNING Nov. 7, 2026 – Four days after the general election, Alaska’s election THE ALASKA STORY Nov. 6, 2026 – Thirty-four Alaska National Guard members are serving in No government agency ever releases records to the public during an ongoing investigation by that agency.

Sources

• Adnlink
• Alaskabeaconlink
• Alaskapubliclink
• Breitbartlink
• Just The Newslink
• NTD Newslink
• Newscordlink
• TAG24 NEWS USA INClink
• The Seattle Timeslink
• Thealaskastorylink
• Washingtonexaminerlink
• notus.orglink
• WarpBeat — background on Peltola's Campaign Linked to 'Decoy Dan' Scheme link
• WarpBeat — background on Alaska Governor Orders Probe Into Peltola's Campaign Over 'Decoy Dan' link
• Ballot Brief — video link