Judge dismisses petition by Peltola campaign seeking names of rejected absentee voters

The Alaska Division of Elections does not have to produce a report of rejected absentee voters in the midterm elections, a state court ruled Wednesday afternoon on a lawsuit filed by the campaign of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola. The lawsuit was filed by the campaign group Alaskans for Mary against the division on Friday, seeking to make public the names of voters whose absentee ballots have been rejected and the reasons for their rejection before the results are certified on Nov. 25. In court filings, the group said they sought the list of voters “to safeguard an accurate ballot count and ensure that Peltola’s supporters are not unlawfully disenfranchised.” But in court, attorneys with the Alaska Department of Law arguing on behalf of the division said ballot counting is ongoing and the requested records at this stage are preliminary, and do not qualify as public records.

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