TL/DR –
The Supreme Court is considering various election-related cases that could have significant impacts on voting rights for future elections. Cases include laws in Arkansas and Texas regarding limitations on voting support for those with limited English proficiency, Arizona’s voter registration rules that lower courts have deemed restrictive, and a court ruling in Pennsylvania concerning mailed ballots that could favor Democrats. The Supreme Court’s decision to take on any of these cases would likely result in arguments in the next term beginning in October, with rulings delivered after the midterm elections.
Southern States Redrawing District Maps Following SCOTUS Ruling
Following numerous election-related cases, the Supreme Court may consider more cases concerning voting laws. Parties argue whether these laws prevent election fraud or disenfranchise voters.
The justices will soon decide whether to review laws in Arkansas and Texas that voting rights groups claim restrict voting for those with limited English proficiency. They’ve also been asked by the Trump administration to reconsider voter registration rules in Arizona that lower courts said suppress the vote.
The court is also considering an appeal from Republicans about a ruling on mailed ballots in Pennsylvania that could favor Democrats. If the justices take on any of these cases, decisions would likely come after the midterm elections.
Arkansas Voter Assisting Limitations
An Arkansas law that criminalizes anyone who isn’t an election official assisting more than six voters to cast a ballot is challenged by a Latino civil rights group. State officials argue the law prevents “professional assisters” from misusing a federal civil rights law that allows voters to receive help for language difficulties or other issues.
The law was ruled against by a federal judge. However, a federal appeals court reversed the decision, ruling that only the federal government can enforce the Voting Rights Act, not lawsuits from individual voters or groups. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, which represents Arkansas United, is appealing the decision.
Texas Mailed Ballot Assistance Restrictions
A Texas law enacted in 2020, under an “election integrity” bill, makes it criminal to pay someone to help a voter cast a ballot by mail. This law is being challenged by various voting rights groups who argue that it conflicts with the Voting Rights Act by preventing social service organizations from helping voters with disabilities or those who are not proficient in English.
The Supreme Court justices are being urged by the American Civil Liberties Union to intervene, as state legislatures are increasingly imposing new burdens on voters who are supposed to be protected by federal law.
Arizona Rules Supported by Trump Administration Blocked by Courts
Republicans hope to reinstate state voter registration laws in Arizona that lower courts said conflict with federal rules and suppress the vote. The Supreme Court has been asked to decide if Arizona’s method of purging voter rolls violates the federal ban on systematic registration cancellations within 90 days of an election.
The federal government, which challenged Arizona’s rules during the Biden administration, is now defending them. The Trump administration’s Justice Department told the Supreme Court justices they should hear the appeal to settle “these important election-law issues outside the setting of a contested election.”
Republicans Appeal Pennsylvania Ballot Rules
In Pennsylvania, election officials were discarding thousands of mailed ballots without proper dates on the return envelope until blocked by court rulings. The Republican Party argues that if this least burdensome voting rule is declared unconstitutional, it potentially sets a precedent for other voting or ballot-casting rules to be challenged.
Democrats argue that the date requirement, which started in the 1940s, is now obsolete since Pennsylvania now requires absentee ballots to be received by Election Day. If the Supreme Court declines to intervene, Democratic voters are more likely to benefit in future elections, as they are more likely to vote by mail than Republicans.
—
Read More US Political News