The federal administration is intensifying legal actions against U.S. states with just days remaining before midterm elections that will determine control of Washington during the final two years of the presidential term. The unfolding disputes involve an extraordinary federal intervention in state-administered elections, drawing sharp pushback from local officials and election administrators nationwide.
In Alaska, the Justice Department filed an amended lawsuit on Thursday seeking to block the certification of election results if the Republican incumbent faces a narrow loss in a crucial Senate contest. The federal filing cited published reports that Democratic operatives recruited a spoiler candidate to siphon votes from incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. Republican Governor Mike Dunleavy called for a state investigation, noting that findings of illegality could affect whether a winner is seated in the U.S. Senate.
Alaska election officials dismissed the amended lawsuit as meritless in a Thursday night court filing, arguing that the federal action had cast an improper cloud over the state’s election. The campaign for Democratic candidate Mary Peltola did not immediately respond to the amended complaint, though the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee denied involvement and accused Republicans of backing separate third-party candidates elsewhere. Daniel J. Sullivan, the independent candidate sharing a similar name, has previously denied that his candidacy was intended to cause voter confusion or divert votes from the incumbent.
Meanwhile, in California, federal pressure is mounting over voter rolls. The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s office received grand jury subpoenas last week as part of a criminal investigation into alleged voting by non-citizens, according to documentation reviewed by reporters. Dean Logan, the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder, issued a statement criticizing the federal approach. “At every step, the U.S. Department of Justice has taken a confrontational, adversarial approach,” Logan said, adding that local election officials are acting in accordance with state and federal law. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on the subpoenas but maintained that California and the federal government share the view that non-citizen voting is properly addressed through criminal law.
The legal clashes unfold as voters head to the polls across the country in approximately 10 highly competitive Senate races that will decide whether Democrats can secure a net gain of four seats to reclaim the chamber majority. More than 44 million Americans had already cast ballots by Thursday evening according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab, tracking closely with turnout figures from the 2022 midterm elections. As November 3 approaches, local election officials around the country report they are bracing for further legal challenges originating from Washington.
