US Attorney General Todd Blanche gestures as he speaks during a press conference at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., US, September 30, 2026. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
An elections expert sounded the alarm Sunday as President Donald Trump's Justice Department sought to preemptively block the certification of Alaska's midterm elections.
Last week, the Trump DOJ sued Alaska in federal court, claiming that voters could be confused by the fact that there are two Dan Sullivans on the ballot. It added that the state should ot be permitted to certify the election "pending an investigation" into whether some voters mistakenly voted for the wrong Sullivan.
The lawsuit came months after Alaska's Supreme Court adjudicated the same question and determined that both Sullivans could remain on the ballot without issue.
Marc Elias, a voting rights attorney, argued during a new episode of the "Democracy Watch" podcast that the lawsuit should alarm anyone who wants the midterms to be decided by a fair election.
"This is serious stuff," Elias said. "This is going to determine whether we have free and fair elections or not, and I think it's going to determine whether or not Democrats are going to be able to sweep the House and the Senate, as I expect them to, or Donald Trump is going to try to rig the outcome."
Elias noted that the Justice Department's arguments are seemingly meritless. For instance, the law the DOJ cited in its brief deals with voter registration, not certification, Elias said.
He added that it seemed the DOJ was telling the court that a candidate who is the victim of confusion should be certified. That seems to be a strange strategy for the Trump administration, which relies on sowing confusion as one of its main tactics, Elias argued.
"Can you imagine this is where they have decided to draw this line?" Elias said.
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