Alaska asks judge to toss bid to hold up its Senate count

Alaska's state government asked a federal judge on Saturday to throw out a Trump administration lawsuit over the state's closely watched Senate race, calling the federal government's demands impossible and an unwarranted intrusion into how the state runs its elections.

The Justice Department sued local election officials last month. It wants the result of the race not to be certified unless Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan is declared the winner. The department alleges that the campaign of his Democratic challenger, former Rep. Mary Peltola, helped recruit a retired teacher named Daniel J. Sullivan to run, creating confusion that it says could take votes away from the senator. Federal prosecutors have also opened a criminal investigation. Peltola has strongly denied any involvement.

In its filing, Alaska's attorney general's office said the state Supreme Court approved the second Sullivan's place on the ballot months ago and that the ballot was designed to limit confusion. It said a federal proposal to set aside ballots that rank Daniel J. Sullivan made no sense and would threaten voters' right to a secret ballot. The judge is expected to rule soon on whether the case can go ahead.

The fight is one of several legal battles in the final days before Election Day. The administration also said it would likely ask the Supreme Court to step in over thousands of mail-in ballots in California. The Alaska race is seen as important to Democrats' hopes of winning control of the Senate. Polls close on Tuesday, Nov. 3. This is a developing story.