Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/20pdf/20a67_3e04.pdf
Page Number: 1.0

Cite as:  592 U. S. ____ (2020) 

1 

SOTOMAYOR, J., dissenting 

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES 

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No. 20A67 
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JOHN H. MERRILL, ALABAMA SECRETARY OF 
STATE, ET AL. v. PEOPLE FIRST OF ALABAMA, ET AL. 

ON APPLICATION FOR STAY 

[October 21, 2020] 

  The  application  for  stay  presented  to  JUSTICE  THOMAS 
and by him referred to the Court is granted, and the district 
court’s September 30, 2020 order granting a permanent in-
junction is stayed pending disposition of the appeal in the 
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and 
disposition of the petition for a writ of certiorari, if such writ 
is timely sought.  Should the petition for a writ of certiorari 
be denied, this stay shall terminate automatically.  In the 
event the petition for a writ of certiorari is granted, the stay 
shall terminate upon the sending down of the judgment of 
this Court. 
  JUSTICE  SOTOMAYOR,  with  whom  JUSTICE  BREYER  and 
JUSTICE KAGAN join, dissenting from grant of stay. 
  This stay application arises from the Alabama secretary 
of state’s decision to ban curbside voting despite the ongo-
ing  COVID–19  crisis  and  the  willingness  of  certain  Ala-
bama counties to assist voters with disabilities.  Following 
a lengthy trial and resting on an extensive record, the Dis-
trict Court found, among other things, that the secretary’s 
ban violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by 
forcing voters with disabilities, for whom COVID–19 is dis-
proportionately likely to be fatal, to risk unnecessary expo-
sure to the virus if they wish to vote in person.  The District 
Court enjoined the secretary’s ban, thus allowing counties 
that are ready to adopt curbside voting to do so.  I would not