Peltola campaign sues Alaska for rejected-ballot records

Mary Peltola’s campaign asked an Alaska court to order the release of records on absentee ballots rejected in Tuesday’s voting. The state says it has treated the records as confidential and argues releasing preliminary information could burden ballot processing.

• The campaign sued Alaska election officials, seeking records identifying rejected absentee ballots and the reasons for rejection.· 1 source
• The filing also sought a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction for immediate release, saying access was time-sensitive while counting and certification continued.· 2 sources
• The campaign said it requested the records on October 27 and again on Wednesday, but received no response before being denied immediate access.· 1 source
• The state Department of Law said election officials have long treated the records as confidential and that Alaska law does not require their release.· 1 source
• The state argued that releasing preliminary records could add burdens during processing and delay vote counting. The candidates were separated by about 600 votes as ballots from remote areas were still being counted.· 1 source