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 extraordinary relief and would fundamentally alter the nature 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) postmarked by election day, April 7, 2020, and received by April
13, 2020, at 4:00 p.m., or (ii) hand-delivered as provided under 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 appeal 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 certiorari 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 judgment of this Court.
It is so ordered.