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Judge weighs lawsuit brought by Peltola campaign over absentee ballots in Alaska's Senate race
PBS • • nation
Key Points:
- Alaska Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola's campaign filed a lawsuit seeking a list of rejected absentee ballots and reasons for rejection to ensure all qualified votes are counted in the close midterm race against Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan.
- The state opposes releasing the information, citing voter privacy concerns and the confidential nature of absentee ballot review documents, which include sensitive details like home addresses.
- Peltola's attorneys argue the requested information is public record and aligns with what campaign observers can access during absentee ballot reviews, but in a more centralized format.
- Alaska's election system does not allow voters to fix absentee ballot errors that lead to rejection, and ballots from overseas voters can be accepted up to 15 days after the election, with final vote tabulations expected by Nov. 18.
- State Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews indicated he would issue a swift written ruling on the lawsuit, likely within a day of the hearing.
