Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/21pdf/21a455_5if6.pdf
Page Number: 3.0

Cite as:  595 U. S. ____ (2022) 

1 

ALITO, J., dissenting 

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES 

_________________ 

No. 21A455 
_________________ 

TIMOTHY MOORE, IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS 
SPEAKER OF THE NORTH CAROLINA
 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, ET AL. 
v. REBECCA HARPER, ET AL. 

ON APPLICATION FOR STAY 

[March 7, 2022] 

JUSTICE  ALITO,  with  whom  JUSTICE  THOMAS  and 
JUSTICE GORSUCH join, dissenting from the denial of appli-
cation for stay. 

I would grant the application for a stay.
This case presents an exceptionally important and recur-
ring question of constitutional law, namely, the extent of a
state court’s authority to reject rules adopted by a state leg-
islature for use in conducting federal elections.  There can 
be  no  doubt  that  this  question  is  of  great  national  im-
portance.  But we have not yet found an opportune occasion
to address the issue.  See, e.g., Democratic National Com-
mittee v. Wisconsin State Legislature, 592 U. S. ___ (2020); 
Scarnati  v.  Boockvar,  592  U. S.  ___  (2020);  Moore  v.  Cir-
costa, 592 U. S. ___ (2020); Wise v. Circosta, 592 U. S. ___ 
(2020); Bush v. Gore, 531 U. S. 98, 112 (2000) (Rehnquist,
C. J., concurring); see also Republican Party of Pennsylva-
nia v. Degraffenreid, 592 U. S. ___ (2021) (THOMAS, J., dis-
senting from denial of certiorari); id., at ___ (ALITO, J., dis-
senting 
from  denial  of  certiorari);  Wisconsin  State 
Legislature,  592  U. S.,  at  ___  (GORSUCH,  J.,  concurring).
We will have to resolve this question sooner or later, and 
the sooner we do so, the better.  This case presented a good 
opportunity  to  consider  the  issue,  but  unfortunately  the
Court has again found the occasion inopportune.