Alaska voters should decide who represents Alaska in the U.S. Senate. A new federal lawsuit puts that basic idea in question.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has sued the state of Alaska. It asks that the Senate results not be certified if Democrat Mary Peltola wins. The suit claims a second candidate named Dan Sullivan, a retired teacher running as an independent, joined the race to pull votes away from Republican Senator Dan Sullivan. That candidate denies trying to mislead anyone. President Donald Trump has said the lawsuit was his call, telling reporters, “I’m the one who said do it,” according to The Hill.

Legal experts are doubtful. Notre Dame Law School professor Derek Muller wrote that the claim has “essentially no likelihood of success,” according to Election Law Blog.

The bigger problem is the principle. A rule that only kicks in when one side wins is not a fair rule. Whether Alaskans vote Republican, Democrat or independent, every ballot deserves to be counted and every outcome deserves to be treated the same way. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, at least 34 federal court rulings have paused or blocked the administration’s efforts to influence elections. Those rulings came from judges appointed by presidents of both parties.

Alaska’s Lieutenant Governor and Division of Elections oversee the state’s elections. They should certify the Senate results on schedule, based on the ballots Alaskans cast. The U.S. Attorney General should withdraw this lawsuit.

Sign the petition before Election Day on November 3 to tell state and federal officials that Alaskans decide Alaska’s elections, and the results must be certified no matter who wins.