Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/17pdf/16-980_f2q3.pdf
Page Number: 45

18 

HUSTED v. A. PHILIP RANDOLPH INSTITUTE 

BREYER, J., dissenting 

Qualification  Clause,  Art.  1,  §2.    Indeed,  this  Court’s 
precedents interpreting the scope of congressional authority 
under the Elections Clause make clear that Congress has 
the constitutional power to adopt the statute before us. 
  The Elections Clause states: 

“The  Times,  Places  and  Manner  of  holding  Elections 
for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed 
in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Con-
gress  may  at  any  time  by  Law  make  or  alter  such 
Regulations,  except  as  to  the  Places  of  chusing  Sena-
tors.”  U. S. Const., Art. I, §4, cl. 1. 

The  Court  has  frequently  said  that  “[t]he  Clause’s  sub-
stantive  scope  is  broad,”  and  that  it  “empowers  Congress 
to pre-empt state regulations governing the ‘Times, Places 
and  Manner’  of  holding  congressional  elections.”    Arizona 
v. Inter Tribal Council of Ariz., Inc., 570 U. S. 1, 8 (2013).  
We have long held that “[t]he power of Congress over the 
‘Times,  Places  and  Manner’  of  congressional  elections  ‘is 
paramount, and may be exercised at any time, and to any 
extent  which  it  deems  expedient;  and  so  far  as  it  is  exer-
cised,  and  no  farther,  the  regulations  effected  supersede 
those of the State which are inconsistent therewith.’ ”  Id., 
at 9 (quoting Ex parte Siebold, 100 U. S. 371, 392 (1880)). 
  The words “ ‘Times, Places, and Manner,’ ” we have said, 
are  “ ‘comprehensive  words’ ”  that  “ ‘embrace  authority  to 
provide  a  complete  code  for  congressional  elections.’ ”  
Tribal Council, supra, at 8–9 (quoting Smiley v. Holm, 285 
U. S. 355, 366 (1932)).  That “complete code” includes the 
constitutional  authority  to  enact  “regulations  relating  to 
‘registration.’ ”    Ibid.;  see  also  Cook  v.  Gralike,  531  U. S. 
510, 524 (2001) (same); Roudebush v. Hartke, 405 U. S. 15, 
24–25 (1972).  That is precisely what §8 does. 
  Neither does §8 tell the States “who may vote in” federal 
elections.    Tribal  Council,  570  U. S.,  at  16.    Instead,  §8 
considers the manner of registering those whom the State