Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/21pdf/21a455_5if6.pdf
Page Number: 1

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

1 

KAVANAUGH, J., concurring 

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES 

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No. 21A455 
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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] 

The application for stay pending the filing and disposition
of a petition for a writ of certiorari presented to THE CHIEF 
JUSTICE and by him referred to the Court is denied. 

JUSTICE KAVANAUGH, concurring in denial of application 

for stay. 

I agree with JUSTICE ALITO that the underlying Elections
Clause question raised in the emergency application is im-
portant,  and  that  both  sides  have  advanced  serious  argu-
ments on the merits.  The issue is almost certain to keep
arising until the Court definitively resolves it.  Therefore, if 
the Court receives petitions for certiorari raising the issue, 
I believe that the Court should grant certiorari in an appro-
priate case—either in this case from North Carolina or in a 
similar case from another State.  If the Court does so, the 
Court can carefully consider and decide the issue next Term
after full briefing and oral argument.

In their emergency application, however, the applicants
are  asking  this  Court  for  extraordinary  interim  relief—
namely, an order from this Court requiring North Carolina
to change its existing congressional election districts for the
upcoming  2022  primary  and  general  elections.    But  this 
Court  has  repeatedly  ruled  that  federal  courts  ordinarily
should not alter state election laws in the period close to an