Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/20pdf/20a66_new_m6io.pdf
Page Number: 10

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

5 

KAVANAUGH, J., concurring 

health and is not accountable to the people.’ ”  Ibid. (some 
internal quotation marks omitted).  As the Seventh Circuit 
rightly  explained,  “the  design  of  electoral  procedures  is  a 
legislative  task,”  including  during  the  pandemic.    Demo-
cratic National Committee v. Bostelmann, ___ F. 3d ___, ___ 
(Oct. 8, 2020).  
  Over the last seven months, this Court has stayed numer-
ous  federal  district  court  injunctions  that  second-guessed 
state legislative judgments about whether to keep or make 
changes to election rules during the pandemic.  See Merrill 
II, ante, p. ___; Andino, ante, p. ___; Merrill I, 591 U. S. ___; 
Clarno, 591 U. S. ___; Little, 591 U. S. ___; RNC, 589 U. S. 
___.  
  To be sure, in light of the pandemic, some state legisla-
tures have exercised their Article I, §4, authority over elec-
tions and have changed their election rules for the Novem-
ber  2020  election.    Of  particular  relevance  here,  a  few 
States such as Mississippi no longer require that absentee 
ballots be received before election day.  See, e.g., Miss. Code 
Ann. §23–15–637 (2020).  Other States such as Vermont, by 
contrast,  have  decided  not  to  make  changes  to  their  ordi-
nary  election-deadline  rules,  including  to  the  election-day 
deadline for receipt of absentee ballots.  See, e.g., Vt. Stat. 
Ann.,  Tit.  17,  §2543  (2020).    The  variation  in  state  re-
sponses  reflects  our  constitutional  system  of  federalism.  
Different state legislatures may make different choices.  As-
sessing  the  complicated  tradeoffs  involved  in  changing  or 
retaining election deadlines, or other election rules, in light 
of public health conditions in a particular State is primarily 
the responsibility of state legislatures and falls outside the 
competence of federal courts. 
  Applicants  respond  that  this  principle  of  deference  to 
state legislatures applies only when a state legislature has 
affirmatively  made  some  changes,  but  not  others,  to  the 
election code in light of COVID–19.  And they say that Wis-