The U.S. Justice Department has issued subpoenas to California officials in an escalation of its scrutiny of local election administration. The subpoenas were issued by all four U.S. attorneys in California, according to a person familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. On Thursday, a federal judge also appointed a special master to evaluate the administration's claims. The Justice Department insists it's trying to prevent fraudulent voting. The administration’s appeal is now before the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Millions of Californians have already voted.

The Justice Department is escalating a criminal investigation over an Alaska Senate candidate who shares a name with the Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan. It has issued a raft of new grand jury subpoenas, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Thursday. The subpoenas seeking grand jury testimony or documents, along with records preservation demands, were issued after The New York Times reported that Democratic candidate Mary Peltola’s campaign appeared to be involved in recruiting Dan J. Sullivan Jr. as part of an alleged effort to confuse voters in the hotly contested race. Neither the recipients of the subpoenas nor the number of them were immediately clear.