The US Department of Justice has taken legal action against Alaska at President Donald Trump's request. The dispute centers on November elections in the state and on a possible win by the Democrats. Trump does not want such a result to be approved until officials first check whether the ballot itself created confusion among voters. Until that review is done, the justice department wants any Democratic victory kept on hold. The case pulls a federal body into the middle of an election fight, territory usually left to state authorities. Alaska's election officials now have to weigh their own procedures against pressure coming from Washington. Any court process takes time, and here time is exactly what is in short supply with results pending.