Alaska Judge Denies Peltola Campaign Request for Rejected Absentee Ballot Data
A state judge ruled against the campaign's request for specific absentee ballot rejection lists.
1Legal Challenge Over Ballots
The campaign of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola filed a lawsuit seeking a list of absentee voters whose ballots were rejected. The legal action aimed to ensure all qualified voters had their ballots counted. However, Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews ultimately denied the request, citing the state's current operational limitations.
2State's Operational Constraints
Judge Matthews ruled that the Alaska Division of Elections is currently occupied with processing ballots from the 2026 general election. The court determined the division simply lacks the capacity to fulfill the campaign's request for detailed rejection data. This decision prioritizes the ongoing, time-sensitive task of counting remaining ballots over data disclosure.
3Privacy and Data Concerns
Attorneys for the state argued that the requested information would violate voter privacy. Officials noted that the state's outdated and inflexible voter database cannot produce reports excluding confidential home addresses. Consequently, the division maintains that daily reports generated for review are ephemeral working documents not intended for public preservation or distribution.
4Campaign Access Limitations
While campaign observers are permitted to watch absentee review boards at regional offices, they must sign strict confidentiality agreements. These observers are prohibited from keeping, copying, or recording information from the reports. The state emphasized that no ballot is officially rejected until the state review board process concludes and results are certified.
5Notification and Voter Rights
Alaska law dictates specific timelines for notifying voters if their absentee ballots are rejected. Voters can check their status via an online system, but this information is not posted until at least 10 days after certification. The state currently lacks a process allowing voters to fix errors on their ballots, such as missing signatures.
6Opposing Campaign Stance
Attorneys for Republican Senator Dan Sullivan filed a motion supporting the state's position. However, the campaign requested that if the judge were to order any production of data, such information must be made equally and simultaneously available to all candidates involved in the race to ensure fairness in the competitive election.
7Ranked Choice Tabulation Context
The election remains too close to call, with absentee and early in-person ballots still being tallied. If no candidate secures more than 50% of first-choice votes, the state will conduct ranked vote tabulations. The Division of Elections has set November 18 as the final day to receive ballots from overseas voters.
8Judicial Ruling and Impact
Judge Matthews issued his ruling swiftly following the hearing to avoid disrupting the ongoing ballot counting process. By denying the request, the court maintained the current administrative workflow of the Division of Elections. The focus remains on certifying results after the final November 18 deadline for receiving all eligible overseas ballots.