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

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

15 

KAVANAUGH, J., concurring 

for voters who decide relatively late in the game that they 
would prefer to avoid lines at the polls on election day. 
  The dissent’s October 29-based argument falls short for 
another reason as well: The dissent’s approach would actu-
ally penalize Wisconsin for being too generous with its ab-
sentee  voting  regime.    Under  the  dissent’s  theory,  if  Wis-
consin had just set a more restrictive deadline for voters to 
request  absentee  ballots—say,  two  weeks  before  election 
day—there presumably would not be a constitutional prob-
lem with the State’s election-day deadline for receipt of ab-
sentee ballots.  But it makes little sense to penalize Wiscon-
sin for accommodating voters and making it easier for them 
to vote absentee and avoid lines on election day. 
  The  dissent’s  rhetoric  of  “disenfranchisement”  is  mis-
placed  for  still  another  reason.    As  the  dissent  uses  that 
term,  the  dissent’s  own  position  would  itself  “disenfran-
chise” voters.  What about voters who request an absentee 
ballot after October 29?  What about voters who mail their 
ballots  after  November  3?    What  about  voters  who  mail 
their ballots by November 3 but whose ballots arrive after 
November 9?  Even if we reinstated the District Court’s or-
der as the dissent would have us do, those votes would not 
count.  The dissent’s position would itself therefore “disen-
franchise”  some  voters,  at  least  as  the  dissent  uses  the 
term.  All of which simply shows that the dissent’s rhetoric 
of disenfranchisement is mistaken. 
  The dissent responds that I am just disagreeing with the 
facts found by the District Court.  Not so.  I do not disagree 
with  any  of  the  relevant  historical  facts  that  the  District 
Court found and that the dissent highlights.  The dissent, 
for example, calls attention to the District Court’s finding 
that nearly two million Wisconsin voters in this election are 
likely to request mail ballots.  I agree.  Indeed, the Wiscon-
sin  Elections  Commission  has  already  sent  nearly  that 
number  of  absentee  ballots  to  voters  who  have  requested