Alaska's Republican-led state government on Saturday urged a federal judge to dismiss with prejudice a Justice Department lawsuit that seeks to halt certification of the state's U.S. Senate race if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses. In a filing from the state attorney general's office, which is headed by Republican acting Attorney General Cori Mills, officials wrote that there was "no reason for this Court to entertain this meritless lawsuit any longer." They added that the relief sought is "inappropriate and not even possible given Alaskan voters' vital right to ballot secrecy." The filing came three days before Election Day.

The Justice Department filed the suit Oct. 22 against local election officials at President Donald Trump's direction. It alleges that the campaign of Democratic candidate Mary Peltola helped recruit a second candidate named Dan Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher from Petersburg, creating voter confusion that would siphon votes from the incumbent. The administration amended its complaint this week to cite a New York Times report that texts and posts appeared to show Peltola's campaign was involved in the recruitment and that Peltola was aware of it. The Times story cited a former campaign manager who later tried to retract her statements. Peltola has denied the allegations, telling supporters Friday she was "so deeply offended" by the accusations and did "not need any help" defeating Sullivan. Trump has also demanded that Peltola be prosecuted.

On Friday, the Justice Department added a request that the court separate all ballots marking votes for the second Sullivan until it can be determined whether voters were misled. Alaska's filing called the proposal "both disturbing and impossible," saying it would be easy to identify which ballots rank Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. no matter how they are stored, and that segregating them would violate voter privacy. State officials also noted that the Alaska Supreme Court approved the second candidate's place on the ballot months ago, and that the ballot distinguishes the two men: the senator is listed as the Republican incumbent, while the other appears as "Daniel J. Sullivan Jr." with no party affiliation.

The administration has argued that a preamble to the 1990s law governing voter registration gives the federal government responsibility for ensuring states maintain the integrity of federal elections, and says it is seeking to prevent fraud. Election law experts have broadly criticized the complaint, and Alaska officials challenged the basis for federal standing, noting that certification is left to the states. The Justice Department has also issued a wave of subpoenas and announced a criminal investigation in the case, as the administration has stepped up its use of legal powers ahead of Tuesday's midterm elections.

U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason set Saturday as the deadline for arguments on whether to dismiss the suit without a hearing and is expected to rule soon. The outcome could determine whether the state proceeds with ballot counting and certification without federal interference in a race that could help decide control of the U.S. Senate.