NEW: Supreme Court on 5-3 vote rejects Democratic calls to reinstate six-day extension for the receipt of mail ballots in Wisconsin.
— Greg Stohr (@GregStohr) October 26, 2020
The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-3 decision, rejected a request from Democrats to reinstate a six-day extension for the receipt of mail-in ballots in Wisconsin.
U.S. District Judge William Conley’s originally allowed absentee ballots to be accepted for up to six days after Election Day, and a 7-day extension of Wisconsin’s online and mail-in registration deadlines.
Conley is an Obama appointee, and has previously ruled against President Trump’s travel ban.
That ruling was struck down by the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals two weeks ago. Democrats then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court and were denied this week.
Chief Justice John Roberts, in a key passage, described why the Court denied the Wisconsin extension but allowed a three-day extension in Pennsylvania.
“While the Pennsylvania applications implicated the authority of state courts to apply their own constitutions to election regulations, this case involves federal intrusion on state lawmaking processes. Different bodies of law and different precedents govern these two situations and require, in these particular circumstances, that we allow the modification of election rules in Pennsylvania but not Wisconsin,” Roberts wrote.
Key passage here from Roberts, who voted to block the Wisconsin extension but allow a three-day extension in Pennsylvania: pic.twitter.com/SSIbHHfdZa
— Greg Stohr (@GregStohr) October 26, 2020
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.