Donald Trump has threatened legal action ahead of Alaska's election, a move critics have branded a despicable political threat. At the center of the dispute is the Justice Department, which wants to hold up certification of the state's election result under one specific condition. According to that plan, the approval would be stopped if the Republican Dan Sullivan loses the vote by a narrow margin. The possibility of federal interference in a state count has angered opponents, who read it as pressure on the electoral process. Backers of the idea argue that razor-thin results deserve extra scrutiny before they are finalized. Election officials in Alaska have continued with their normal counting procedures so far. Legal experts expect a court fight over whether Washington can delay a state certification at all. The result itself is now being watched across the country.