Election Disputes Deepen as Democrats Clash and Alaska Rejects Trump’s Ballot Demand

WHO:

PBS - The American Civil Liberties Union joined Alaska state officials and Mary Peltola’s campaign in urging Judge Sharon L. Gleason to dismiss the lawsuit, warning that federal officials could use “election integrity” language to interfere with state elections and subject voters to a law-enforcement investigation.

CNN - Michael Moore, chief information security officer for Arizona’s secretary of state office, said White House document releases had “re-victimized” election officials who had shared cybersecurity information confidentially.

CNN - Conservative journalist John Solomon ran a White House task force that released hundreds of declassified documents; Solomon said the disclosures served the public interest and transparency.

CNN - Ryan Macias, a former CISA consultant, said election officials often do not know whom to contact about cyber or physical incidents.

CNN - David Becker, co-founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research and a former Justice Department attorney, said he knew no election official, Democrat or Republican, actively sharing cybersecurity information with federal officials.

CNN - Scott Leiendecker, who bought Dominion Voting Systems and rebranded it as Liberty Vote, said federal cybersecurity assistance had been lacking compared with previous years.

CNN - Jennifer Morrell, co-founder of the Elections Group and a former election official in Colorado and Utah, said election staff fatigue can make mistakes and phishing attempts more likely.

CNN - Lindsey Bachman, a spokesperson for the New Mexico secretary of state’s office, said the office had not changed its approach to preventing foreign interference.

CNN - Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes said Russia was spreading disinformation against Democratic candidates and China was targeting down-ballot candidates viewed as anti-China.

CNN - Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the midterms would be secure while making claims about election-system vulnerabilities.

CNN - Alaska state Rep. Rebecca Himschoot, who is listed as nonpartisan, described FBI visits to donors of Daniel J. Sullivan, an independent candidate in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race.

PBS - Alaska’s Republican-run state government urged a federal judge to dismiss the Justice Department’s lawsuit. The filing came from the state attorney general’s office.

PBS - The lawsuit was filed at President Donald Trump’s direction. The Justice Department seeks to stop certification of a possible Democratic win by Mary Peltola; the main rival named in the article is Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan.

PBS - U.S. District Court Judge Sharon L. Gleason was considering whether to dismiss the case without a hearing.

PBS - Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced a state probe after The New York Times reported on the possible role of Peltola’s campaign in recruiting the second Sullivan.

WHAT:

CNN - Rebecca Himschoot called the FBI donor visits “astounding” and “out of control,” and said she would welcome agents visiting her home, even offering them coffee.

CNN - A former CISA official told CNN that election officials were still worried about foreign interference but were receiving no information from federal officials and were trying to fill the gap themselves.

CNN - CISA said it offers state and local election officials and election vendors voluntary, no-cost services, including technical expertise, vulnerability scanning, and resilience-building support.

CNN - CNN reported that multiple former election officials at CISA were forced out in 2025, leaving a deficit of federal election experts.

CNN - A CNN field guide said a judge may extend polling-place hours when a location opens late; voters can place ballots in a secure ballot box if voting-machine problems arise.

CNN - Brennan Center research found that AI chat tools can create convincing images and videos depicting alleged election malfeasance with a click.

PBS - Alaska’s filing said that newly reported evidence of possible involvement by Peltola’s campaign in recruiting Daniel J. Sullivan did not change his legal eligibility to appear on the ballot; the state urged dismissal with prejudice.

PBS - The article reported that President Trump demanded Peltola be prosecuted after The New York Times reported on texts, posts, and campaign-related activity concerning the second Sullivan’s recruitment.

PBS - The New York Times report cited interviews with Peltola’s former campaign manager and contributions from a political group supporting Peltola to an out-of-state Democratic consultant who recruited the second Sullivan.

CNN - A CNN report said Iran’s hackers and trolls had been relatively quiet during the midterms, though a Graphika analyst said a real or perceived U.S. threat toward Iran around the election could prompt greater activity.

CNN - The article described the midterms as the first major U.S. election since the U.S.-Iran war began.

CNN - Election security experts told CNN that cuts to federal programs weakened the channels for sharing foreign-threat intelligence with election officials. CISA’s election-security work was curtailed during Trump’s second term, and the agency has since tried to rebuild it.

CNN - A much-anticipated classified briefing for election officials, the first since the 2024 presidential election cycle, was disrupted by technical problems; it was later rescheduled and held without them.

CNN - CISA said it had launched an information-sharing tool available daily to authorized federal, state and local partners upon request, but did not say how many election officials had accessed it.

CNN - Private firms tracking suspected Russian activity reported AI-altered videos attacking Democratic candidates, including a fabricated sexual-assault claim about Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico.

CNN - Fox News paid Dominion more than $787 million to settle a defamation case over claims that Dominion machines rigged the 2020 election.

CNN - Crude oil remained above $100 a barrel amid security concerns in the Middle East.

PBS - Alaska’s filing said the new reporting about possible campaign involvement did not alter the second candidate’s legal eligibility to remain on the ballot; the state asked for dismissal with prejudice.

CNN - FBI agents began visiting homes of Daniel J. Sullivan’s campaign donors, indicating that the criminal investigation into Alaska’s ballot had entered a new phase. The Associated Press reported that several other donors were visited.

CNN - A Sitka constituent told Himschoot that two FBI agents visited their home and asked whether they knew which Dan Sullivan they had donated to. The agents showed FBI badges and were polite.

PBS - Alaska asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, calling it “meritless” and arguing there was “no reason for this Court to entertain this meritless lawsuit any longer.”

PBS - The Justice Department requested that ballots voting for the second Dan Sullivan be separated while investigators determine whether voters were confused. Alaska called the request “both disturbing and impossible,” saying it could not be done without violating voter privacy.

PBS - Alaska said the ballot distinguishes the candidates: the incumbent is listed as a Republican, while the other candidate is listed as “Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.” State officials said they designed it to minimize confusion.

PBS - Peltola denied involvement in the second Sullivan’s presence on the ballot. The Alaska Supreme Court ruled that he met legal requirements to remain on the ballot.

PBS - Peltola’s campaign and voting-rights groups also urged dismissal. The ACLU warned against federal officials using statutory language about “election integrity” to block certification and investigate voters.

WHERE:

CNN - The donor visit occurred in Sitka, a remote island community most easily reached by plane. Himschoot also referred to Petersburg.

PBS - The dispute concerns Alaska’s U.S. Senate election and a federal court case before the U.S. District Court.

WHEN:

CNN - Himschoot said the Sitka visit happened Friday afternoon and that the election was three days away.

PBS - Judge Gleason set a Saturday deadline for arguments on dismissal. The Justice Department made its request to separate ballots on Friday.

WHY:

CNN - Ryan Macias said election officials often do not know whom to contact during cyber or physical incidents; David Becker said he knew no election official actively sharing cybersecurity information with federal authorities, contrasting this with the previous four federal elections.

CNN - Michael Moore said politicizing threat-intelligence sharing could discourage election officials from sharing information with federal authorities.

CNN - Election administrators’ skepticism about federal political motivations and uncertainty about possible federal intervention have further strained information-sharing, according to sources interviewed by CNN.

CNN - US intelligence assessments indicated Russia was using disinformation against Democratic candidates and China was targeting candidates seen as anti-China.

CNN - Himschoot said she was frustrated that federal resources were being used for door-to-door inquiries while her community needed help with senior-citizen scams and human trafficking. She said she feared politics might be directing the investigation.

PBS - The Justice Department said it was seeking to combat fraud and determine whether voters were confused by the second candidate’s name; it argued that the case could affect which party controls the Senate.

HOW:

PBS - Alaska said the incumbent and the other candidate were distinguished on the ballot by party and incumbent labels: Sen. Dan Sullivan was listed as a Republican and incumbent, while the other candidate was listed as “Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.”

CNN - The Russian disinformation effort included AI-altered videos posted on X; Russia-aligned “hacktivists” had also used inexpensive cyberattacks to take election-related websites offline ahead of the 2022 midterms.

CNN - FBI agents visited donors in person and asked which candidate named Dan Sullivan they had intended to support.

PBS - The Justice Department issued subpoenas and announced a criminal investigation. Alaska argued that isolating ballots would violate voter privacy.

(UPDATED November 1, 2026 17:56 UTC)

Alaska urged a federal judge to dismiss the Justice Department’s lawsuit over the Senate ballot. The state warned federal election investigations could threaten voter privacy and interfere with elections. Meanwhile, officials say federal cybersecurity support has weakened as foreign threats and fake videos persist.

(UPDATED November 1, 2026 16:56 UTC)

Alaska and voting-rights groups urged a judge to dismiss a federal election lawsuit. FBI agents have visited donors to a second Dan Sullivan’s Senate campaign. Election experts warn federal cuts weakened cooperation against cyber threats and foreign interference.

(UPDATED November 1, 2026 16:22 UTC)

Federal election-security cooperation has weakened, leaving officials uncertain how to share threat intelligence. Experts warn politicized disclosures could deter cooperation, as foreign actors spread disinformation. Alaska asked a judge to dismiss a federal lawsuit challenging a second Dan Sullivan’s ballot listing.

(UPDATED November 1, 2026 10:55 UTC)

Federal cuts have weakened election-security coordination as foreign disinformation targets candidates. Alaska is challenging a federal investigation into possible voter confusion between two Senate candidates named Sullivan. The state says separating ballots would violate voter privacy.

(UPDATED November 1, 2026 05:56 UTC)

The FBI is questioning donors to independent candidate Daniel J. Sullivan in Alaska’s Senate race. Alaska is urging a federal judge to dismiss the Justice Department’s lawsuit over ballots. The department wants ballots for Sullivan separated, while the state says that violates voter privacy.