Peltola campaign sues Alaska election officials over absentee ballot data access

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola's campaign sued Alaska election officials Friday, seeking access to preliminary absentee ballot records it says are public under state law. The state argues the information is confidential and plans to fight the lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed in Anchorage Superior Court, targets the Division of Elections, its director, and Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom. Peltola leads incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan by 637 votes with over 215,000 counted, and the campaign says it needs the data to ensure valid ballots are counted before certification deadlines. The race's outcome may not be known until Nov. 18, with certification set for Nov. 25. The lawsuit follows a federal case from the Trump administration seeking to stop certification if Sullivan loses, which was dismissed and is now under appeal.