Provisional ballots are set aside by election administrators until the voter's legal eligibility is verified after polls close

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In its Alaska election lawsuit, the United States Department of Justice argued that votes cast for Dan J. Sullivan Jr. were intended for Dan S. Sullivan and should be redistributed

President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March 2025 expanding the role of the Department of Homeland Security in screening voter eligibility

The Supreme Court of the United States blocked the Trump administration's executive order provision granting the United States Postal Service authority to screen mail-in ballots

A Trump administration executive order sought to grant the United States Postal Service authority to screen mail-in ballots before delivery to or from voters

Alaska state court litigation determined that general election ballots would identify Dan S. Sullivan as the incumbent senator and Dan J. Sullivan Jr. as a non-incumbent

Federal courts ruled against the Trump administration's legal challenges seeking immediate changes to 2026 voting procedures

The United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit seeking to block Alaska state officials from certifying election results if Dan J. Sullivan Jr.'s presence altered the outcome

A March 2025 executive order issued by President Trump granted election officials access to a federal immigration database to verify whether registered voters hold United States citizenship

Under the United States Constitution, individual states hold primary authority over conducting elections under laws enacted by Congress

Eligible United States citizens of legal voting age possess the constitutional right to cast an effective ballot in elections

Elections in the United States are administered by state and local authorities rather than the federal government

Nearly one-third of American voters use mail-in ballots to vote

State election officials prepared contingency procedures anticipating heightened federal scrutiny of state voter registration rolls

Alaska uses a ranked-choice voting system for its elections

State election officials pre-drafted legal briefs to prepare for potential litigation on and around Election Day

The United States Department of Justice deployed federal election monitors to observe voting in multiple states

Voters whose names do not appear on poll books or have been removed are legally entitled to cast a provisional ballot

A voter who remains in line when their assigned polling place closes is legally entitled to cast a ballot

Voters facing eligibility disputes or polling place disruptions can contact the voter support hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE

Wendy Weiser serves as the vice president for democracy at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law