2021 United States Electoral College vote count

Alaska's U.S. Senate race heads into Tuesday's election with two candidates named Dan Sullivan on the ballot: incumbent Republican Dan S. Sullivan and Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired Petersburg schoolteacher with no party listed. The second Sullivan's candidacy is now the subject of federal and state criminal investigations, following a New York Times report alleging Democratic involvement in recruiting him, which Mary Peltola's campaign denies. Alaska's elections director had disqualified him for filing "with a purpose to confuse or mislead," but courts overruled her. A federal judge dismissed a related Justice Department lawsuit seeking to delay certification; the department plans to appeal.

Voters interviewed by Newsweek were split on whether the ballot itself causes confusion, in a race forecasters call a toss-up.

A federal investigation into alleged "ballot stacking" in Alaska's U.S. Senate race centers on Petersburg, the fishing town where Dan J. Sullivan, a former teacher who entered the race against Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, lives. FBI agents have questioned about a dozen residents who donated to Dan J. Sullivan's roughly $7,150 campaign, asking whether they felt deceived and whether they had meant to donate to the senator instead. Sullivan has not been seen publicly for weeks and has denied coordinating with Democrats or Mary Peltola's campaign, though a New York Times report detailed a Peltola-linked effort to recruit Alaskans named Dan Sullivan. A Trump administration lawsuit seeking to block certification of the election was dismissed, then appealed. The case, tied to Alaska's open primary and ranked-choice system, could affect control of the Senate.

In Petersburg, Alaska, retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan's campaign against Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, once dismissed as a prank dubbed "Decoy Dan," has become a federal investigation. FBI agents have visited and interviewed about a dozen local donors who gave roughly $7,150 combined, asking whether they felt deceived and whether they meant to donate to the incumbent instead. Dan J. Sullivan has not been seen publicly for weeks, and reporters have been unable to reach him. The Trump administration is weighing "ballot stacking" charges, and a Justice Department lawsuit seeking to block certification of the race was dismissed, then appealed. Democrat Mary Peltola denies any role after reports linked allies to decoy-candidate recruitment in the tight Senate race.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Maureen P. Kelly held Attorney General Todd Blanche, Homeland Security chief Markwayne Mullin, and an acting ICE field office director in civil contempt after Nain Vasquez Gonzalez, a Salvadoran man she had ordered released following 38 months of detention, was rearrested by ICE agents in New Jersey hours later. Kelly said officials gave "inconsistent stories" and failed to produce body camera footage, with one agent's camera reportedly uncharged. She criticized ICE's use of masks to conceal agents' identities, calling it "unamerican," and imposed sanctions covering attorney's fees. Immigration attorneys called the contempt finding unusual but an even-handed application of court authority.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has directed the Department of Public Safety to investigate allegations that staff for Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee recruited namesake challenger Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. to siphon votes from Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan. The probe follows New York Times reporting, partly based on a since-retracted account from Peltola's fired former campaign manager, Elisa Rios, describing an internal "ballot composition" effort allegedly involving Peltola's campaign lawyers and senior DSCC aides. The Peltola campaign and DSCC deny involvement, with Peltola calling the controversy "a distraction"; the retired Petersburg teacher also denies running at Democrats' behest, though he has acknowledged a history of backing Peltola and other Democrats.

President Trump called for Peltola's prosecution and removal from the ballot, and the Justice Department has issued fresh subpoenas to Democratic officials believed to be involved in the recruitment effort, building on an existing U.S. Attorney's Office inquiry into Daniel J. Sullivan dating back to summer. The DOJ has also sued to block certification if Sullivan narrowly loses, arguing the scheme amounts to a "conspiracy to undermine the integrity of the electoral process"; Alaska moved to dismiss that suit, calling it meritless, and a federal judge set an expedited schedule with a ruling possible within days. The Alaska Supreme Court previously rejected efforts to remove the challenger Sullivan from the ballot. Sen. Lisa Murkowski joined other Republicans condemning the alleged scheme as voters rank Sen. Sullivan, Peltola, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., and Gerald Heikes on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Dunleavy has declined to commit to certifying the election if Peltola wins while the investigation is ongoing, saying any finding of illegal conduct "may in fact impact whether somebody is seated in the U.S. Senate" and that officials would weigh whether to involve Senate leadership. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer has demanded testimony from operatives named in the reporting and threatened subpoenas of his own. Dunleavy's term ends Dec. 7, shortly after Alaska's target date for certifying results.

Federal prosecutors asked Washington election officials to set aside ballots from roughly 405 voters they suspect registered without citizenship, accounting for about 1,500 cast ballots, and said more names may follow before Election Day. Secretary of State Steve Hobbs confirmed his office is reviewing the demand, which follows about 60 federal subpoenas for voter records over the past month. Hobbs has called the DOJ's data "deeply flawed," noting citizens appear on the list and most flagged voters are unregistered or inactive, and says withholding ballots without individualized proof would likely be unlawful. No charges have been filed.

A similar, larger fight is underway in California, where a federal judge rejected a DOJ demand to sequester roughly 20,000 disputed ballots but appointed a special master to vet the list, which both sides agree includes citizens. The DOJ has since subpoenaed California election officials and appealed to the 9th Circuit. Alaska has faced comparable demands.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy ordered an investigation into allegations, first reported by The New York Times, that Senate candidate Mary Peltola's campaign recruited a retiree named Dan J. Sullivan to run against incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan to confuse Republican voters. President Trump called for Peltola's removal from the ballot, though early voting already began October 19. The Justice Department has filed a preemptive lawsuit seeking to block certification if Peltola wins, a move Sen. Lisa Murkowski publicly opposed. Peltola's campaign dismissed the story as a distraction, while a former aide said Peltola was aware of the effort but not directly involved. It remains unclear whether any law was broken.