Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/20pdf/20-542_2c83.pdf
Page Number: 12

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

1 

ALITO, 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

  JUSTICE  ALITO,  with  whom  JUSTICE  GORSUCH  joins, 
dissenting from the denial of certiorari. 
  I  agree  with  JUSTICE THOMAS  that  we  should  grant  re-
view in these cases.  They present an important and recur-
ring constitutional question: whether the Elections or Elec-
tors Clauses of the United States  Constitution, Art. I, §4, 
cl. 1; Art. II, §1, cl. 2, are violated when a state court holds 
that a state constitutional provision overrides a state stat-
ute governing the manner in which a federal election is to 
be conducted.  That question has divided the lower courts,* 
and our review at this time would be greatly beneficial. 
  In the cases now before us, a statute enacted by the Penn-
sylvania  Legislature  unequivocally  requires  that  mailed 
ballots be received by 8 p.m. on election day.  Pa. Stat. Ann., 
Tit.  25,  §§3146.6(c),  3150.16(c)  (Purdon  2020).    Neverthe-
less, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, citing a provision of 
the  State  Constitution  mandating  that  elections  “be  free 
and  equal,”  Art.  I,  §5,  altered  that  deadline  and  ordered 

—————— 

*See Pennsylvania Democratic Party v. Boockvar, ___ Pa. ___, ___–___, 
238 A. 3d 345, 369–372 (2020); Carson v. Simon, 978 F. 3d 1051, 1059–
1060 (CA8 2020).