Alaska’s highest court ruled that a same-name Republican challenger to Sen.Dan Sullivan can remain on the ballot, a decision an election expert says exposes glaring flaws in Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system and top-four primary.The Alaska Supreme Court ruled Monday that Dan J.
Sullivan, a retired teacher, is eligible to appear on the Republican primary ballot alongside incumbent Sen.Dan Sullivan, affirming a lower court's decision keeping him on the ballot despite Republicans and the Division of Elections arguing that Dan J.
Sullivan’s candidacy is a "sham" attempt orchestrated by Democratic operatives to potentially trip up voters and siphon off votes from the incumbent."It very clearly is an attempt to mislead voters," Jason Snead, executive director of the Honest Elections Project, told Fox News Digital."When you look at the facts, they've been pretty clearly established."Snead pointed to Alaska’s ranked choice voting (RCV) and jungle primary as especially vulnerable to any nefarious tactics with same-name candidates because, unlike a traditional partisan primary, Alaska advances the top four finishers from a single primary election to the general election, regardless of party.DAN SULLIVAN ACCUSES SAME-NAME CHALLENGER OF TRYING TO 'RIG' ALASKA SENATE RACESenate candidate Dan J.
Sullivan, left, is pictured alongside Sen.Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, right.
(Sullivan for U.S.Senate; Brandon Bell-Pool/Getty Images)Snead argued that under a conventional Republican primary, a candidate he described as a "decoy" would be unlikely to eliminate a legitimate contender before the general election.Instead, he said, voters face a crowded top-four primary ballot in this year's Alaska Senate race, roughly 16 candidates are running, and confusion over nearly identical names could have significant consequences.GOP FIGHTS TO STOP MULTIPLE DAN SULLIVANS FROM APPEARING ON ALASKA BALLOT, CALLS CANDIDACY A 'SHAM'Sen.
Dan Sullivan addresses the crowd during a campaign rally...