Hawley calls for Senate to pass data center moratorium

A judge in Alaska has dismissed a request from Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mary Peltola's campaign to obtain a list of absentee voters whose ballots were rejected. The request was seen as unreasonable, especially given the time-sensitive nature of the current election count. The race between Peltola and two-term Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan remains too close to call, with Alaska being the only Senate race still undecided.

Voters are allowed to submit ballots up to 15 days after the general election, with the final deadline being November 18. Election officials aim to complete ranked vote tabulations by then if no candidate secures a majority. Superior Court Judge Thomas Matthews ruled against Peltola's campaign after hearing arguments, as attorneys for the state argued that the information sought would breach voter privacy.

The campaign aimed to ensure all qualified voters had their ballots counted, but the state contended that the requested data would infringe upon privacy rights. Peltola's campaign attorney Abha Khanna stated that the information is in the public interest and aligns with what campaign observers witness during absentee review board meetings.

State law allows challenges to absentee ballots under certain conditions. The state maintains that daily reports generated by the division, containing confidential information and home addresses, are not public records. Observers, including campaign representatives, must sign confidentiality agreements and cannot disclose or copy the report's contents.