Alaska judge to fast-track Miller’s suit

A judge in Alaska Wednesday agreed that Republican Joe Miller’s lawsuit contesting the outcome of the state’s Senate contest should be resolved quickly. 

Arguments are slated to begin next Wednesday.

Attorneys for the state filed a brief Tuesday, asking a judge to expedite the case over concerns that the state could be without full representation in Congress come January. 

It’s the same argument lawyers for Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) have made in seeking to intervene in the case. A decision on whether to allow Murkowski to intervene is expected Thursday. 

In the motion to intervene, an attorney for Murkowski argued the senator would drop “from her current rank of 43rd to 100th” if she isn’t sworn in at the start of the year. 

Miller’s lawsuit claims the state applied a faulty and arbitrary “voter intent” standard to the counting of write-in ballots and wants thousands of ballots thrown out due to improper spelling of Murkowski’s name or other irregularities. 

Murkowski was declared the winner earlier this month with a lead of more than 10,000 votes. The incumbent has room to spare even if all of the write-in ballots challenged by Miller were to be thrown out by a judge.