Staff Reports
The Supreme Court’s latest decision to sit on its hands regarding a Pennsylvania Republican challenge to a Biden executive order is a move likely welcomed by the left, but it’s just another day of frustration for those concerned about election integrity. The justices, in their usual “no-comments-necessary” style, left GOP lawmakers twisting in the wind while they continue to gestate theories about a federal government deeply involved in voter registration – and we all know the last thing they want is for Uncle Sam to help people vote… for Republicans.
The executive order, signed in March 2021, appears to address the “voter registration gap,” but it seems that gap is conveniently filled with blue ink. The order encourages various nonpartisan organizations and state officials to set up voter registration services on federal property. Predictably, this triggered alarm bells among conservatives who argue that this is just a slick way for the Biden administration to use federal resources to bolster Democratic voter turnout. After all, who can resist the sweet aroma of taxpayer-funded voter registration drives that may play favorites?
BREAKING: The U.S. Supreme Court won't review a case from Pennsylvania GOP lawmakers seeking to revive the right-wing independent state legislature theory and challenge President Biden's 2021 executive order expanding voter registration.https://t.co/bouwxWNxLH
— Democracy Docket (@DemocracyDocket) October 7, 2024
Pennsylvania Republicans grounded their case in the independent state legislature doctrine, claiming state legislatures should have the final say on how elections are regulated. This principle has their heart in the right place, but unfortunately, it seems the Supreme Court didn’t share their enthusiasm. Chief Justice John Roberts already squashed a similar argument in a North Carolina case; unsurprisingly, that case didn’t find favor with the conservative audience either. The justices essentially opined that state legislatures are not to be treated like unassailable monarchs when it comes to state judicial review.
Amid all this, one couldn’t help but notice the cheeky undertones of the proceedings—talk about a strained relationship between separate branches of government. While Pennsylvania lawmakers clutched their pearls over whether individual legislators have legal standing in this debate, the Supreme Court sent a strong message: don’t expect a win by merely claiming self-defense in the form of the elections clause.
Organizations like America First Legal have not remained quiet, decrying the executive order as nothing less than a scheme for “unprecedented election interference.” Their continued efforts unravel the veiled intricacies of the Biden plan suggest a strong commitment to transparency, unlike the opaque maneuvering of government agencies in navigating new voter registration methods.
The silence from the Supreme Court means that the Pennsylvania GOP and its supporters must reassess their strategy, grappling with an executive order that might as well come with a bright blue banner reading “Vote Democrat.” While the Biden administration seems to be rolling out the welcome mat for expanded voter registration, conservatives are left wondering what it will take to safeguard election integrity and restore the rightful balance of power in American governance.
