Alaska's Republican-led government urged a federal judge Saturday to dismiss a Justice Department lawsuit seeking to delay certification of the state's U.S. Senate election, arguing that the federal government has no legal justification for intervening in the state's election procedures.

In a court filing submitted to U.S. District Judge Sharon L. Gleason, the Alaska attorney general's office called the federal lawsuit meritless and urged the court to end the case without a hearing. The dispute centers on Democrat Mary Peltola and allegations that her campaign was involved in recruiting a second candidate named Dan Sullivan to appear on the ballot alongside Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan.

The Justice Department, acting under the Trump administration, is seeking to prevent certification of a possible Peltola victory until officials determine whether voters were confused by the two candidates' names.

Alaska officials rejected that argument, maintaining that the state's ballot clearly distinguishes between the candidates. The incumbent senator is identified as a Republican, while the second candidate appears as "Daniel J. Sullivan Jr."

"State officials carefully designed the ballot to minimize voter confusion," the state argued in its filing, adding that the election should proceed without what it described as unwarranted federal interference.

The Justice Department's lawsuit relies on language in a federal voter registration law from the 1990s, arguing that the legislation gives the federal government authority to protect the integrity of federal elections. Federal officials say the investigation is intended to prevent potential voter confusion and election fraud in a race that could affect control of the U.S. Senate.

On Friday, the Justice Department expanded its request, asking the court to require Alaska officials to separate ballots cast for the second Sullivan while investigators determine whether voters mistakenly selected him because of his name.

Alaska officials called that demand "both disturbing and impossible," arguing that separating the ballots would violate voter privacy because election officials cannot determine individual voters' intentions without compromising ballot secrecy.

The controversy intensified after The New York Times published a report alleging that Peltola's campaign had connections to efforts to recruit the second Dan Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher living in the remote fishing community of Petersburg.

The report cited interviews with Peltola's former campaign manager, text messages, and financial contributions from a political group supporting Peltola to an out-of-state Democratic consultant who recruited the second candidate.

President Trump subsequently called for Peltola to face prosecution over the allegations. Peltola has denied any involvement in recruiting the second Sullivan.

Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced a state investigation following the newspaper's report and criticized the second candidate's presence on the ballot. However, the Alaska Supreme Court ruled earlier this year that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. had satisfied all legal requirements to remain a candidate.

The state's latest filing argues that allegations about Peltola's possible involvement do not change the second candidate's legal eligibility or provide grounds for federal intervention.

"Not every wrong can be righted in federal court," the state wrote.

Peltola's campaign and several voting rights organizations have also urged Judge Gleason to dismiss the Justice Department's lawsuit, placing them in agreement with Alaska's Republican-led government on the question of federal authority over state election procedures.

The American Civil Liberties Union argued that allowing the federal government to block certification based on broad references to election integrity would establish a dangerous precedent for federal interference in state elections.

Judge Gleason faces a Saturday deadline to consider the arguments over whether the case should be dismissed without a hearing. The outcome will determine whether the Justice Department can continue pursuing its effort to delay certification while investigating the circumstances surrounding the second Sullivan's candidacy.