Republican National Committee v. Common Cause Rhode Island

Application for stay denied on August 13, 2020. Justices Thomas, Alito and Gorsuch would grant the application.

Docket No.	Op. Below	Argument	Opinion	Vote	Author	Term
20a28	1st Cir.	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	OT 2020

Issue: Whether the Supreme Court should stay an order by a federal district court relaxing Rhode Island's requirement that voters sign absentee ballots in the presence of either two witnesses or one notary in advance of the state's September election.

SCOTUSblog Coverage

Court denies Republicans request to reinstate witness requirement for Rhode Island absentee ballots (Amy Howe, August 13, 2020)
RNC, Rhode Island Republicans ask justices to intervene in absentee-ballot dispute (Amy Howe, August 10, 2020)

Date	Proceedings and Orders (key to color coding)
08/10/2020	Application (20A28) for a stay, submitted to Justice Breyer.
08/10/2020	Response to application (20A28) requested by Justice Breyer, due Tuesday, August 11, 2020, by 5 p.m. ET.
08/11/2020	Response to application from respondents Nellie Gorbea, Rhode Island Secretary of State, et al. filed.
08/11/2020	Response to application from respondents Common Cause Rhode Island, et al. filed.
08/12/2020	Reply of applicants Republican National Committee, et al. filed.
08/13/2020	Application (20A28) referred to the Court.
08/13/2020	Application (20A28) denied by the Court. The application for stay presented to Justice Breyer and by him referred to the Court is denied. Unlike Merrill v. People First of Alabama, 591 U. S. ___ (2020), and other similar cases where a State defends its own law, here the state election officials support the challenged decree, and no state official has expressed opposition. Under these circumstances, the applicants lack a cognizable interest in the State’s ability to “enforce its duly enacted” laws. Abbott v. Perez, 585 U. S. ___, ___ n. 17 (2018). The status quo is one in which the challenged requirement has not been in effect, given the rules used in Rhode Island’s last election, and many Rhode Island voters may well hold that belief. Justice Thomas, Justice Alito, and Justice Gorsuch would grant the application.