Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/21pdf/21a375_d18f.pdf
Page Number: 3

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

3 

KAVANAUGH, J., concurring 

Court was wrong on the merits.  And given that the primary 
elections  begin  next  month,  the  State  has  also  sought  an 
emergency stay  of  the District  Court’s injunction  with  re-
spect to the 2022 elections. 
  With  respect  to  the  request  for  a  stay  of  the  District 
Court’s injunction for the 2022 elections, the State argues 
that  the  District  Court’s  injunction  is  a  prescription  for 
chaos for candidates, campaign organizations, independent 
groups,  political  parties,  and  voters,  among  others.    The 
State  says  that  those  individuals  and  entities  now  do  not 
know who will be running against whom in the primaries 
next  month.    Filing  deadlines  need  to  be  met,  but  candi-
dates cannot be sure what district they need to file for.  In-
deed, at this point, some potential candidates do not even 
know which district they live in.  Nor do incumbents know 
if they now might be running against other incumbents in 
the upcoming primaries. 
  On top of that, state and local election officials need sub-
stantial time to plan for elections.  Running elections state-
wide  is  extraordinarily  complicated  and  difficult.    Those 
elections require enormous advance preparations by state 
and local officials, and pose significant logistical challenges.  
The  District  Court’s  order  would  require  heroic  efforts  by 
those  state  and  local  authorities  in  the  next  few  weeks—
and even heroic efforts likely would not be enough to avoid 
chaos and confusion. 
  For those and other reasons, the State says that any ju-
dicial order requiring the State to redraw its congressional 
district lines should  not  apply  to the  imminent  2022 elec-
tions that begin next month. 
  Under our precedents, a party asking this Court for a stay 
of a lower court’s judgment pending appeal or certiorari or-
dinarily  must  show  (i)  a  reasonable  probability  that  this 
Court  would  eventually  grant  review  and  a  fair  prospect 
that  the  Court  would  reverse,  and  (ii)  that  the  applicant