Trump administration’s election lawsuits are on shaky legal ground, experts say

When the Justice Department went to court seeking to block the certification of Alaska’s Senate race if the Republican incumbent loses, it said that it was upholding the National Voter Registration Act.

The lawsuit, filed at the direction of President Donald Trump ahead of the November midterm election, aims to prevent election officials from certifying the contest between Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic challenger Mary Peltola if the incumbent is defeated. Federal officials pointed to the presence of a second candidate named Dan Sullivan on the ballot, arguing that the identical name creates severe voter confusion that threatens the integrity of the election.

Although the Alaska Supreme Court previously allowed the second Dan Sullivan to remain on the ballot, the Justice Department’s filing contends that certifying results under these conditions would violate federal duties under the National Voter Registration Act to safeguard electoral processes. Opponents and election law experts have sharply criticized the suit, labeling it an unprecedented effort to interfere with state election certification based on thin legal grounds.