Judge dismisses Trump administration lawsuit over Alaska Senate ballot stories

Nov 13, 2026

Alaskans vote to keep ranked-choice voting, rejecting repeal measure

Alaska voters rejected a ballot measure that sought to repeal the state's ranked-choice voting system, preserving the unusual electoral method that has been at the center of controversy in recent elections including the still-uncalled Senate race between Mary Peltola and Dan Sullivan.

Nov 13, 20262 sources

Oct 31, 2026

Justice Department lawsuit seeking to delay Alaska Senate certification dismissed by federal judge

A federal judge dismissed the Trump administration's lawsuit attempting to block certification of Alaska's Senate race if Republican Dan Sullivan loses. The DOJ had sought to preemptively challenge the election results over allegations involving a second candidate named Dan Sullivan on the ballot.

Oct 31, 20267 sources

Top claims

▪According to projections by Decision Desk HQ and NBC News, Alaskan voters rejected Ballot Measure 2, preserving Alaska's open top-four primary format, general election ranked-choice voting, and campaign finance provisions enacted in 2020
▪A federal judge dismissed an effort by the Donald Trump administration to segregate ballots cast for Alaska Senate candidate Dan J. Sullivan
▪In Alaska's general elections, if no candidate receives over 50 percent of first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated and support is redistributed to voters' second preference

People involved

Nick Begich Donald Trump Mary Peltola

Subtopics

2026 U.S. midterm elections2 Elections2 Senate races2 Trump administration2 Two Dan Sullivans in Alaska Senate race2 US midterm elections2 Ballot administration1 Federal agencies1 Investigations1 Judiciary1 Justice Department steps into the midterm elections1 New York Times1 Ranked-choice voting1 State politics1 US Senate1

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