Plain-English summary
Court upholds state supreme court’s power to review and change state election rules
The Supreme Court affirmed that state courts can review and replace state legislative rules governing federal elections under their state constitutions. The Court rejected the idea that the Federal Elections Clause gives state legislatures exclusive control over the “manner” of federal elections.
Why this matters
The ruling confirms that state judiciaries remain a check on state legislatures’ handling of federal elections. It preserves the role of state constitutions and state courts in policing unfair or unconstitutional election rules and maps, which affects how congressional districts are drawn and how elections are run in every state.
Who may feel it
- State legislatures
- State supreme courts and lower state courts
- Voters in each state
- Candidates for federal office (House and Senate)
- Election officials and administrators
- Civil-rights and voting-rights groups
Key questions
- Does the Federal Elections Clause bar state courts from reviewing or replacing state legislative rules that govern federal elections?
- Can a state supreme court, under its state constitution, strike down a state legislature’s congressional map and order a new map for federal elections?