Anchorage, Alaska — Democrat Mary Peltola's campaign has filed a lawsuit against Alaska election officials, seeking access to records showing which absentee ballots have been rejected and the reasons behind those decisions. The lawsuit was filed Friday, November 6, by Alaskans for Mary as Peltola remains locked in a close U.S. Senate race against Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. The campaign says access to the records is necessary to ensure eligible voters' ballots are properly counted and that qualified supporters are not unfairly excluded. The group said: “We are confident that Mary will win this race. The campaign is ensuring transparency, timeliness, and accuracy as the counting process continues and every Alaskan’s voice is heard,” However, Alaska's Department of Law is opposing the request, arguing that the records contain preliminary information that could change before final decisions are made. In an official statement, the state explained: “Today the Mary Peltola campaign filed a lawsuit seeking access to preliminary absentee ballot information that the Division has long treated as confidential and that Alaska law does not require the Division to release. Alaskans for Mary seeks copies of daily records indicating whether absentee ballots of individual voters identified by name and address are likely to be accepted or rejected before that information is final and before it is available to the voters themselves. During the absentee review process authorized observers may view certain daily records under confidentiality agreements. Because the information is preliminary, subject to change, and not yet available to affected voters, the Division does not distribute the records separately or allow observers to retain them. Alaska’s constitution and laws do not require the Division to provide this information in the manner requested by the campaign. Releasing preliminary information in the manner sought by the lawsuit would create additional burdens during ballot processing and could delay the timely counting of votes. The Division has protected this information for years and will ask the court to protect it too.” According to reported election results, Peltola was leading Sullivan by approximately 600 votes, making the contest one of the closest Senate races still awaiting a final outcome. Alaska uses ranked-choice voting, meaning the final winner may depend on additional ballot counting and the subsequent ranking process if no candidate receives the required majority. The state also allows additional absentee ballots to arrive after Election Day. Domestic ballots have a different arrival deadline from overseas ballots, with some eligible ballots accepted through November 18. The lawsuit does not establish that any ballots were wrongly rejected. Instead, the campaign is seeking access to information that could help it monitor the counting process. The Alaska Division of Elections maintains that releasing the preliminary records could interfere with its work. For now, neither Mary Peltola nor Dan Sullivan has been officially declared the winner. Source: Reuters, November 7, 2026; Alaska Public Media, November 6, 2026; Alaska Department of Law, November 6, 2026. Reuters #MaryPeltola #DanSullivan #Alaska #USA #japd - @japdmedia26