{
  "id": 19573411,
  "title": "Alaska judge rules request by Peltola campaign for ballot data in Senate race ‘not reasonable’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/alaska-judge-rules-request-by-peltola-campaign-for-ballot-data-in",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-12T00:06:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/2026/11/11/alaska-judge-rules-request-by-peltola-campaign-for-ballot-data-in-senate-race-not-reasonable"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Alaska judge dismisses Peltola campaign's request for rejected ballots data.",
    "State argues data request would breach voter privacy rights.",
    "Race remains too close to call with November 18 final deadline."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Prioritizing voter privacy over campaign transparency limits the ability of candidates to verify rejected absentee ballots during the final, critical days of a razor-thin Senate election count.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Hill",
        "title": "Hawley calls for Senate to pass data center moratorium",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/12/hawley-calls-for-senate-to-pass-data-center-moratorium",
        "published": "2026-11-12T00:08:46.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}