The Supremes Uphold Ban on “Ballot Harvesting” in Major Arizona Voting Rights Case

On Thursday, the Supreme Court upheld Arizona’s voting laws — challenged by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) — that target ballot harvesting and out-of-precinct voting, causing a liberal uproar on social media. This from townhall.com.

“Voters who choose to vote in person on election day in a county that uses the precinct system must vote in their assigned precincts,” Justice Alito wrote for the majority opinion. “Having to identify one’s own polling place and then travel there to vote does not exceed the ‘usual burdens of voting.’”

Liberal media moguls pounced on the news, claiming that the Court’s ruling perpetuates discrimination and gives Republicans more leverage to claim the 2020 election was stolen.

“One of the things that’s left open is the possibility of voting rights laws that are enacted with a discriminatory purpose in mind,” said MSNBC guest Melissa Murray on air today. “Much more of this kind of work is going to be sub rosa, much more subtle than it was in the Jim Crow era. I think this really is a gutting of this landmark civil rights legislation.”

MSNBC guest says that the “discriminatory purpose” of Arizona voting laws are “going to be sub rosa, much more subtle than it was in the Jim Crow era. I think this really is a gutting of this landmark civil rights legislation.” pic.twitter.com/p0qhwusbzl

“With all these laws proliferating, making it harder for people to get absentee ballots, to wait in line at polling places, to drop off their ballots in future elections, Democrats and civil rights advocates see discrimination,” Dwyer said in the segment. “It’s going to be harder now for Democrats and civil rights advocates to challenge these state voting laws in court. The court system has been sort of the last line of defense against this wave of voting laws past just in the past few months in the wake of the 2020 election, in the wake of the lies pushed by President Trump and Republicans that there was widespread voter fraud, that this was somehow a botched election.”

On Twitter, numerous liberal lawmakers, reporters, and the like expressed their disappointment in the ruling, continuously noting how discriminatory it is to protect election integrity by disallowing ballot harvesting and out-of-precinct voting.

The Left believe the supreme court ruling is more than disappointing and that it will disenfranchise Arizona voters and validate the “voter fraud mythology.” They claim access to fundamental rights like voting should always be expanded, not restricted.

— Adrian Fontes (@Adrian_Fontes) July 1, 2021

Make no mistake: 6 conservative Supreme Court justices just decided to make it even harder to protect Black & Brown Americans’ right to vote.

Tragically, this decision will only embolden voter suppression efforts across the country. It’s time for Congress to step up. pic.twitter.com/IDl8I6PnlZ

— Senator Alex Padilla (@SenAlexPadilla) July 1, 2021

Any word from the Arizona Senators on what they think about the Supreme Court upholding voter suppression laws in their state? Any renewed commitment from them to protect the rights of their voters?

— Ezra Levin (@ezralevin)July 1, 2021

As the Supreme Court’s assault on the Voting Rights Act continues, Congress can, and must, fight back.

My new bill with@RepRubenGallego will undo the latest attack on the VRA by outlawing discriminatory voter suppression laws like the ones the Court just upheld in Brnovich. https://t.co/tcudF9O4Zt

— Rep. Mondaire Jones (@RepMondaire) July 1, 2021

Lots of bad news today. None worse (so far) than the Supreme Court upholding voting suppression which will lead to more. Goes together with their terrible 2013 decision to cut the Voting Rights Act of ‘65. I’ve said it before. We need to stack the Court! Now! 6 new members. Now!

— Stevie Van Zandt (@StevieVanZandt) July 1, 2021

On the other side of the aisle, plenty of Republican lawmakers expressed support of the Supreme Court’s ruling.

I applaud the #SCOTUS decision today in the #Brnovich case. I argued for this result in my amicus brief supporting Arizona’s common sense voting laws. We need to protect the precious right to vote, and Justice Alito defends this truth in his decision today.

— Governor Kristi Noem (@govkristinoem) July 1, 2021

“Supreme Court Upholds Arizona Voting Rights.”
There. I fixed it for you. pic.twitter.com/kfjbyi69x7

— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) July 1, 2021

The Supreme Court issued 2 critical rulings today: Arizona ballot harvesting limits were upheld and the California nonprofit donor harassment law was struck down. It’s a GREAT day!

— Senator Melissa Melendez (@senatormelendez) July 1, 2021

I am proud that the Supreme Court voted to uphold AZ voting laws & reject the ludicrous claims that these laws are racist.

The rule of law & our electoral process should be guided by law, not identity politics. https://t.co/V8mJHYqwmO

— Congressman Byron Donalds (@RepDonaldsPress) July 1, 2021

“I am thankful the justices upheld states’ ability to pass and maintain commonsense election laws, at a time when our country needs it most,” Brnovich wrote on Twitter.

JUST IN: #SCOTUS rules in favor of Arizona’s election integrity protections in ???????????????? ?? ??????. I am thankful the justices upheld states’ ability to pass and maintain commonsense election laws, at a time when our country needs it most.

More: https://t.co/9DWbcMJ0Ci pic.twitter.com/qDbFXlY1iv

— Mark Brnovich (@GeneralBrnovich) July 1, 2021

— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) July 1, 2021

Justice Alito writes the majority opinion joined by Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Barrett.

Justice Kagan dissents joined by Breyer and Sotomayor.

— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) July 1, 2021

Justice Alito for the court, “[W]e think it prudent to make clear at the beginning that we decline in these cases to announce a test to govern all VRA §2 claims involving rules, like those at issue here, that specify the time, place, or manner for casting ballots.”

— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) July 1, 2021

This is a very important decision, a really big deal, because the elimination of ballot harvesting is one of the major elements in new election laws being passed around the country, like the Georgia law that gained so much negative attention earlier this year.

It should also be noted that the Supreme Court is overturning an en banc decision by the 9th circuit who claimed this violated the Voting Rights Act.

Click HERE to read the full ruling.

Although 6-3 on a decision we conservatives realize should have been 9-0, but still it’s a victory for conservatism.