The US Justice Department is seeking to preserve ballots from Alaska's Senate race, according to U. S. Attorney Michael Heyman. Heyman stated that the department's goal is not to change votes or declare a winner, but rather to ensure that ballots are preserved as part of an investigation into allegations of voter confusion.
The investigation centers around claims that Democratic operatives helped recruit a second candidate named Dan Sullivan to run in the election, potentially confusing voters who intended to vote for the Republican incumbent of the same name. Heyman confirmed that the department is conducting parallel civil and criminal investigations into the matter.
The civil lawsuit, filed on October 22, aims to prevent the state from certifying the election results until the ballots can be examined to determine if any voters were misled. The department has invoked the National Voter Registration Act to support its case.
Heyman emphasized that the Justice Department is not asking the court to change the election results or declare a winner, but rather to preserve the ballots so that state officials can eventually determine the impact of any potential voter confusion.
The criminal investigation into the matter is ongoing, with the FBI and Alaska State Troopers assisting, and additional federal law enforcement resources have been deployed to the state to aid in the inquiry. Heyman declined to comment on specific targets or investigative steps, citing the need to protect the investigation.