Democrats Furious After Recent SCOTUS Ruling Favors GOP’s Voting Integrity Legislation in Brnovich v. DNC

The Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of the Arizona election protections provided in Brnovich v. DNC. The DNC had protested that these voting protections would effectively discriminate against African Americans and minorities.

🚨BREAKING ALERT: #SCOTUS issues ruling in voting rights case Brnovich v. DNC. The court ruled 6-3 in favor of Brnovich. More information to come.

Read the opinion here⤵️https://t.co/Yntjk6sagz

— Democracy Docket (@DemocracyDocket) July 1, 2021

The court was divided across ideological lines, resulting in a 6 to 3 ruling. This ruling by the SCOTUS could create precedence to support Republicans’ passage of voting integrity protections nationwide. The court considered the argument that Arizona’s election protections may have been unconstitutional due to their alleged conflict with the Voting Rights Act (VGA) from 1965, which forbids laws resulting in discrimination due to race.

The two voting regulations that the DNC argued against were: 1) The practice of throwing out ballots cast in the wrong precinct 2) The practice of restricting what individuals can collect ballots cast early for delivery to polling places. Former President Donald Trump had called for the second regulation often during his recent election cycle, saying it would prevent ballot harvesting.

In Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.’s opinion, he wrote that the majority declines to “announce a test to govern all … claims involving rules, like those at issue here, that specify the time, place, or manner for casting ballots.” However, Alito Jr. did encourage certain “guidelines” to be considered in new laws and for legislators to truly recognize the potential impact new voting laws may have on certain demographics of citizens. Alito Jr. took a staunch stance in favor of election integrity, saying, “One strong and entirely legitimate state interest is the prevention of fraud. Fraud can affect the outcome of a close election, and fraudulent votes dilute the right of citizens to cast ballots that carry appropriate weight. Fraud can also undermine public confidence in the fairness of elections and the perceived legitimacy of the announced outcome.”

SCOTUS’ ruling pleased Mark Brnovich, the Attorney General of Arizona. Brnovich said on Twitter, “I am thankful the justices upheld states’ ability to pass and maintain commonsense election laws, at a time when our country needs it most.”

Big win for election integrity today. #SCOTUS justices ruled states have authority to pass and maintain laws that prevent voter fraud and safeguard election integrity, such as our protections regarding ballot harvesting and out-of-precinct voting here in Arizona. pic.twitter.com/no6x6EXmV7

— Mark Brnovich (@GeneralBrnovich) July 1, 2021

Brnovich is running for U.S. Senate in Arizona, looking to defeat current U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D). This seat could be instrumental in deciding which party controls the Senate. Read more on Brnovich’s Senate run here.

However, the SCOTUS ruling infuriated many Democrats. Arizona’s Secretary of State Katie Hobbs said in a statement that “the Supreme Court weakened one of our country’s civil rights laws. It is truly a sad day for the future of our democracy.”

Our country was built on the promise that our democracy would be reflective of our communities. Every eligible American should be able to cast a vote, and have it counted. My response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brnovich v DNC. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/vsC1KVO1mN

— Secretary Katie Hobbs (@SecretaryHobbs) July 1, 2021

U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (CO) aired his grievances towards the ruling, calling on Congress to step in: “I strongly disagree with the Supreme Court’s decision in Brnovich v. DNC. Further weakening the #VotingRightsAct willfully ignores the mounting evidence that politicians deliberately suppress the vote from communities of color. If the Court won’t protect democracy, Congress must.”

I strongly disagree with the Supreme Court’s decision in Brnovich v. DNC. Further weakening the #VotingRightsAct willfully ignores the mounting evidence that politicians deliberately suppress the vote from communities of color. If the Court won’t protect democracy, Congress must. https://t.co/f3iL5QeW2p

— Michael Bennet (@SenatorBennet) July 1, 2021

Stay tuned to Media Right News for any SCOTUS or Arizona Election updates.