# Spoiler Candidates: A History of False Ballots

> Alaska's Senate race sparks debate over spoiler candidates and legal challenges.
- Title: Spoiler Candidates: A History of False Ballots | Shortify
- Summary: Alaska's Senate race sparks debate over spoiler candidates and legal challenges. Alaska's Senate race faces accusations of recruiting a spoiler candidate to…
- Keywords: alaska, senate, mary peltola, dan sullivan, spoiler candidate, election law, unsuccessful legal challenges, political scientist, ballot, science, ideas, Spoiler
- Source: The Conversation — https://theconversation.com/from-18th-century-false-ballots-to-the-second-jfk-to-double-dan-sullivans-a-brief-history-of-spoiler-candidates-and-the-unsuccessful-legal-challenges-to-them-295504
- Author: Drew Kurlowski
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: alaska, senate, mary peltola, dan sullivan, spoiler candidate, election law, unsuccessful legal challenges, political scientist, ballot, science, ideas
## Alaska Senate Race Accusations
Alaska's Senate candidate Mary Peltola faces accusations of recruiting a spoiler candidate with a name nearly identical to incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan.
## Historical Spoiler Tactics
Spoilers have been used since the 1800s, including false ballots and name similarities to sway votes.
## 19th-Century Ballot Tricks
In the 1800s, parties printed ballots that could be altered by printers to mislead voters with 'spurious tickets'.
## John F. Kennedy's Name Game
Kennedy's opponent in 1946 was a city councilor named Joseph Russo, but Kennedy's aide paid a janitor with the same name to enter the race.
## John F. Kennedy's Name Game
A John Francis Kennedy, no relation, was elected as a Democrat to Massachusetts treasurer and receiver-general in 1954.
## 1978 South Carolina Spoiler
In 1978, an independent candidate held a press conference claiming a Jewish refugee mayor was unfit for office due to religious qualifications.
## Unwitting Candidates
In 2010, Michigan officials put Tea Party candidates on ballots without their knowledge, leading to forgery charges.
## Alaska's No Barriers
Alaska has no petition requirement for ballot access, allowing candidates like Daniel J. Sullivan to run without party designation.
## Legal Challenges
Legal attempts to stop spoilers have failed, with prosecutions focusing on campaign finance crimes rather than ballot placement.
## Washington's Unique Law
Washington state makes it a felony to run under a rival's surname if the intent is to confuse voters, but Alaska lacks such laws.
## Read Your Ballots
The advice from 1860 to 'watch your tickets on election day' remains relevant for voters to avoid ballot deception.
## Key takeaway

Alaska's Senate race faces accusations of recruiting a spoiler candidate to siphon votes from incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan, with no legal barriers to prevent such tactics.