In the alliteration-tinged battle for the Alaskan Senate seat, the three candidates are approaching Election Day from very different places: a Democrat in a red state (McAdams), a controversial Palin-backed Tea Partier (Miller), and an incumbent write-in (Murkowski).

As Tuesday inches closer, election news coming out of Alaska has gotten more focused on the write-in candidacy of Republican Lisa Murkowski, who, if elected, would be the first write-in candidate to win a U.S. Senate seat since 1954.

That statistic makes one thing obvious: legitimate write-in candidates are a rarity. And that uncharted ground has been leading to problems in Alaska. The Alaskan Supreme Court heard arguments Friday about whether or not it’s legal for poll workers to provide voters with a list of names of write-in candidates, if requested.

Linnaea Ward, a 21-year-old barista in Anchorage, has already made up her mind to write in Murkowski's name, who lost the GOP primary to Joe Miller, but is running for the position anyway. With or without a provided list, Ward will choose Murkowski, not because she really likes her, but because she’s the “lesser of the evils,” she said.

When the Alaskan Democratic Party filed a lawsuit against the Division of Elections on Monday (followed shortly thereafter by the Alaskan Republican Party), it hoped that the courts would see providing lists to voters as an act of persuasion, which is expressly illegal.

In addition, it seems that there’s hope that Murkowski voters, like Ward, will get into the polling place and forget the candidate’s name, or at least how to spell it.

But Murkowski’s team has prepared for such a verdict. The distribution of “Write in Lisa Murkowski” wristbands aims to stifle the efforts to perplex Alaskans.

The Alaskan Supreme Court decided late Friday night that voters should be provided assistance if they ask, including a list of write-in candidates.

Meanwhile, conservative radio host Dan Fagan encouraged listeners to sign up as write-in candidates in an effort to stir additional confusion amongst those voting for Murkowski.

As of today, about 150 Alaskan citizens are now running for Senate as write-in candidates.

“They’re trying to create chaos and I don’t believe they should be doing that,” said a construction worker in the Alaskan city of Soldotna. After answering questions about the write-in drama and his plan to vote for Joe Miller, who he also described as "the lesser of the evils," he decided not to share his name.

And while there is certainly chaos leading up to Election Day, it remains to be seen whether or not that will carry over into the various polling places of Alaska on Tuesday.

The same construction worker expressed concern for Miller, who held a “Change DC” rally in Anchorage on Thursday night, during which Sarah Palin spoke and endorsed the tea party candidate.

“This will do him more harm than good,” he said. “Sarah Palin bailed on us. She didn’t even finish her term.”

And there lies a point of contention for many Alaskans, no matter who they vote for in this election or any other. Many think having Palin involved in an Alaskan campaign is a poor choice.

“It will hurt (Miller). Palin isn’t loved here anymore. She’s seen as abandoning her position,” said Ward. “She’s labeled as a traitor.”

So while Murkowski struggles with the courts and citizen candidates, Miller struggles with potentially harmful endorsements and recent controversies. And then there’s the Democratic candidate Scott McAdams, who can’t seem to get stable footing in Alaska, a red state, even while his two opponents squabble and distract the Republican side.  

 It’s wild up North. Who will win, nobody knows.

Reach contributor Emily Wilson here.

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