Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/20pdf/20-542_2c83.pdf
Page Number: 1

Cite as:  592 U. S. ____ (2021) 

1 

THOMAS, J., dissenting 

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES 

REPUBLICAN PARTY OF PENNSYLVANIA 
20–542 
v. 
VERONICA DEGRAFFENREID, ACTING SECRETARY 
OF PENNSYLVANIA, ET AL. 

20–574 

JAKE CORMAN, ET AL. 
v. 
PENNSYLVANIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY, ET AL. 

ON PETITIONS FOR WRITS OF CERTIORARI TO THE SUPREME 
COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA, MIDDLE DISTRICT 

Nos. 20–542 and 20–574.  Decided February 22, 2021

  The  motions  of  Donald  J.  Trump  for  President,  Inc.  for 
leave to intervene as petitioner are dismissed as moot.  The 
motions of Thomas J. Randolph, et al. for leave to intervene 
as respondents are dismissed as moot.  The motion of Hon-
est Elections Project for leave to file a brief as amicus curiae 
in  No.  20–542  is  granted.    The  motion  of  White  House 
Watch Fund, et al. for leave to file a brief as amici curiae in 
No. 20–574 is granted.  The petitions for writs of certiorari 
are denied. 
  JUSTICE THOMAS, dissenting from the denial of certiorari. 
  The Constitution gives to each state legislature authority 
to determine the “Manner” of federal elections.  Art. I, §4, 
cl. 1; Art. II, §1, cl. 2.  Yet both before and after the 2020 
election,  nonlegislative  officials  in  various  States  took  it 
upon themselves to set the rules instead.  As a result, we 
received an unusually high number of petitions and emer-
gency applications contesting those changes.  The petitions 
here present a clear example.  The Pennsylvania Legisla-
ture  established  an  unambiguous  deadline  for  receiving 
mail-in  ballots:  8  p.m.  on  election  day.    Dissatisfied,  the 
Pennsylvania  Supreme  Court  extended  that  deadline  by