Trump lawsuits, USA News (Washington): With just days before voters across the US head to the polls in one of the most consequential midterm ballots in recent history, Republican candidates are facing potential losses in multiple states. While Donald Trump has campaigned across the nation, his administration has also mounted a legal push to prevent Democratic victories, with Department of Justice (DoJ) officials fighting to prevent votes being counted in Alaska and California.
Alaska: A tale of two Daniel Sullivans
The Senate race in Alaska features incumbent Republican Daniel S. Sullivan against former Democrat representative Mary Peltola, with polling showing a tight race. Republican officials have contended with the presence of another candidate named Daniel J. Sullivan on the ballot. While a legal bid to kick him off failed, state officials listed him without a party affiliation under his full name.
Trump ordered the DoJ to sue to prevent Alaska from certifying the results if senator Sullivan does not win and would have won if all votes cast for Daniel J. Sullivan had gone to him. Alaska’s top federal prosecutor, US Attorney Michael Heyman, announced a criminal investigation into the candidacy, while civil suit filings requested a judge to order state officials to preserve and segregate ranked ballots, and demanded campaign communications from Peltola’s campaign and the DSCC.
California fights threats and claims of illegal voting
Tensions between California and the federal government reached a new low after the DoJ sued alleging thousands of non-citizens were provided with ballots. Department of Homeland Security officials previously claimed around 190,000 non-citizens were enrolled, with the lawsuit alleging 20,000 were wrongly provided ballots. An appeals court recently rejected a DoJ request to set aside those ballots, siding with local officials who noted the logistical impossibility.
In a separate case, the DoJ was barred from threatening or coercing election workers, though subpoenas revealed top federal prosecutor Bill Essayli pushed local officials for communications regarding non-citizen voting allegations, drawing legal challenges from labour unions.
Experts say cases are ‘flimsy’ but could cause chaos
Elections in the US are regulated by states rather than the federal government, leading experts to question the legitimacy of the DoJ lawsuits. Legal scholars note the Alaska civil suit relies on a preamble clause in the National Voter Registration Act, while California officials have questioned the data behind the non-citizen voting lists. Election experts warn that despite potential weaknesses, these legal maneuvers could spark further post-election chaos.
