Alaska's two Dan Sullivans face election amid investigation and court fight

The controversy centres on two candidates with nearly identical names. Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan and another candidate, Dan J. Sullivan, are on Alaska's Senate ballot alongside Democratic nominee Mary Peltola, according to CNBC.

The allegation is that Peltola's campaign helped recruit the second Sullivan to confuse voters and draw support away from the incumbent. The Hill reported that federal authorities were investigating whether the reported recruitment effort violated the law. The allegation is not an established finding of criminal conduct.

Peltola has denied involvement. At a Friday rally, she repeated that denial, according to The Hill.

On October 30, Alaska's top federal prosecutor confirmed a criminal investigation into the alleged scheme, according to The Hill. The Justice Department also sought a court order to isolate certain ballots, citing possible voter confusion, the Associated Press reported.

The proposed ballot separation raised an immediate practical question. NBC News reported on October 30 that the filing did not explain how separating ballots would establish whether a voter had been confused.

By October 31, investigators were contacting people who had donated to Dan J. Sullivan. The Associated Press reported that the FBI began reaching out to donors on Friday to ask about potential deception.

Alaska's Republican-run state government opposed the federal lawsuit. On October 31, state attorneys urged its dismissal, calling the demand to set aside Senate ballots meritless and impossible to carry out, according to coverage carried by PBS.

On November 1, a federal judge dismissed the administration's attempt to block certification if the Republican incumbent lost, NPR Politics reported. The Independent reported that the judge described the requested relief as "infeasible." The Justice Department then appealed, according to CNN.

Alaska votes on November 3 with the ballot controversy unresolved. The civil lawsuit was dismissed, but the Justice Department appealed that ruling. The coverage provides no subsequent appeal decision or final finding from the criminal investigation.

Whether the similar names will materially affect the result remains disputed. The incumbent warned that the alleged scheme was confusing voters, according to the New York Post. Experts cited by Votebeat, however, said the two-name problem was unlikely to matter.

Sullivan has pledged to honour the election outcome, Al Jazeera reported. That pledge contrasts with the administration's effort to challenge certification.

The immediate legal question is what happens to the Justice Department's appeal, reported by CNN. Separately, investigators must determine whether the alleged recruitment effort involved criminal conduct. The coverage does not establish that it did.

The election result will also test claims about the namesake candidate's impact. The New York Post reported on November 3 that one Republican supporter feared he had voted for the wrong Sullivan, but that account does not establish how widespread any confusion may be.