Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/19pdf/19a1016_o759.pdf
Page Number: 4.0

4 

REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE v. 
DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE 
Per Curiam 

is  the  relief  that  the  plaintiffs  actually  requested  in  their 
preliminary injunction motions.  The District Court on its 
own ordered yet an additional extension, which would allow 
voters to mail their ballots after election day, which is ex-
traordinary  relief  and  would  fundamentally  alter  the  na-
ture  of  the  election  by  allowing  voting  for  six  additional
days after the election. 

Therefore,  subject  to  any  further  alterations  that  the 
State may make to state law, in order to be counted in this 
election  a  voter’s  absentee  ballot  must  be  either  (i)  post-
marked by election day, April 7, 2020, and received by April 
13, 2020, at 4:00 p.m., or (ii) hand-delivered as provided un-
der state law by April 7, 2020, at 8:00 p.m.

The  Court’s  decision  on  the  narrow  question  before  the 
Court should not be viewed as expressing an opinion on the 
broader question of whether to hold the election, or whether 
other  reforms  or  modifications  in  election  procedures  in
light of COVID–19 are appropriate.  That point cannot be
stressed enough. 

The  stay  is  granted  pending  final  disposition of  the  ap-
peal by the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh
Circuit and the timely filing and disposition of a petition for 
a writ of certiorari.  Should the petition for a writ of certio-
rari be denied, this stay shall terminate automatically.  In 
the event the petition for a writ of certiorari is granted, the 
stay  shall  terminate  upon  the  sending  down  of  the  judg-
ment of this Court. 

It is so ordered.