NAACP files Brief in Alaska to Protect Voters and Defend Election Certification

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2026
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WASHINGTON - The NAACP today filed an amicus brief in the United States District Court for the District of Alaska in litigation involving an unprecedented effort by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to challenge Alaska's election certification process based on a novel and legally unsupported interpretation of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA). The NAACP is represented in this matter by the Legal Defense Fund. (LDF).

The amicus brief was filed by the NAACP and the NAACP Alaska Oregon Washington State Area Conference (NAACP AOWSAC), which includes the NAACP Anchorage Branch. The NAACP argues that the DOJ is misinterpreting the text and purpose of a federal voter registration law, which does not give the DOJ any authority to interfere with the certification of a U.S. Senate election.

"Alaskans deserve to have their votes counted," said Kristen Clarke, General Counsel of the NAACP. "The Department of Justice's case is based on two words from the National Voter Registration Act, taken grossly out of context. Federal law does not support this attempt to interfere with the election."

According to the brief, the DOJ's lawsuit relies on a single reference to "election integrity" contained in the National Voter Registration Act's (NVRA) preamble while ignoring the statute's actual purpose, text, and decades of legal precedent. The NAACP argues that the NVRA was enacted to expand voter registration, increase voter participation, and ensure accurate voter registration rolls, not to challenge candidate qualifications or disrupt state election certification processes.

"The NVRA was designed solely to increase voter registration and turnout in federal elections while ensuring that state voter registration lists are accurate and current," said Kathryn Sadisivan, Senior Counsel at the Legal Defense Fund. "The NVRA simply has nothing to say about challenges to ballot ordering, candidate qualification, or election certification and any claim premised on misinterpretations of the preamble of the Act should be firmly rejected."

An excerpt from the brief states:

In short, nothing in the text or purpose of the NVRA, nor any relevant precedent, creates a cause of action to remove qualified candidates from the ballot in a federal election, much less the power to disrupt a state's certification of an election depending on which candidate wins.

In the filing, the NAACP further notes that candidate qualifications and ballot design are matters entrusted to the states under the Constitution.

This amicus brief was submitted by counsel from the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Inc., including Kathryn Sadasivan, on behalf of the NAACP and the NAACP Alaska Oregon Washington State Area Conference. Read the full filing here.

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About the NAACP

The NAACP advocates, agitates, and litigates for the civil rights due to Black America. Our legacy is built on the foundation of grassroots activism by the biggest civil rights pioneers of the 20th century and is sustained by 21st century activists. From classrooms and courtrooms to city halls and Congress, our network of members across the country works to secure the social and political power that will end race-based discrimination. That work is rooted in racial equity, civic engagement, and supportive policies and institutions for all marginalized people. We are committed to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities.

NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund - also referred to as LDF - was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but now operates as a completely separate entity.