US Attorney General: We Seek to Ensure Ballot Review in (Alaska) If Senator Sullivan Loses

Washington, Nov 3 (KUNA) -- U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said on Tuesday that his department would take legal action if Republican Senator Dan Sullivan loses his re-election bid in Alaska’s midterm elections, citing concerns that voters could be confused by the presence of candidates with the same name on the ballot. In remarks to Fox News, Sessions said the Justice Department is seeking to ensure that ballots are preserved and made available for individual review to determine whether some voters were confused at the polls and whether their recorded choices reflect their intent to vote for Senator Sullivan. He stressed that the department is not anticipating the election results but is working to ensure a “legal mechanism” is in place to allow ballot review if the results suggest that voter confusion between candidates named Sullivan may have affected the outcome. Sessions explained that this move falls within the federal government’s responsibility to enforce the Constitution and federal election laws, and that it does not aim to infringe on Alaska’s authority to administer its elections or choose its representatives in the Senate. The campaign of Democratic candidate Mary Peltola has faced accusations of nominating a person with the same name as Republican Senator Dan Sullivan in an effort to confuse voters and split their votes, amid an electoral system that features four candidates on a single ballot. The Alaska race has taken on particular significance given the closeness between the Republican and Democratic parties, as its outcome could influence which party controls the U.S. Congress during the final two years of President Donald Trump’s term. (End) A.M.M. / M.A.K.