Supreme Court Rebuffs Pennsylvania GOP Voter Registration Appeal

(Bloomberg) -- The US Supreme Court turned away a challenge to President Joe Biden’s three-year-old voter-registration initiative, steering clear of a fractious political fight in the run-up to the November election.

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The justices without comment left in place a federal trial court order that said 27 Pennsylvania Republican lawmakers lack legal standing to sue over Biden’s 2021 executive order, which directs federal agencies to promote voting access. The lawsuit also sought to invalidate steps taken by two Democratic governors of Pennsylvania.

The suit is one of at least six pending court challenges over the White House initiative. Separate cases are being pressed by Donald Trump’s campaign, the Republican National Committee, GOP state attorneys general and a Trump-aligned advocacy group.

The Pennsylvania Republicans contend Biden’s order intrudes on the power the US Constitution gives state legislatures to set the rules for federal elections.

The lawmakers asked the Supreme Court to take the unusual step of hearing the case before a federal appeals court has ruled. The legislators will now have a chance to make their case before the Philadelphia-based 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals.

Biden’s order directed agency heads to explore ways to support voter registration, such as sharing information on government websites, making forms available at federal offices and partnering with states and nonpartisan organizations to do on-site registrations.

The case is Keefer v. Biden, 23-1162.

--With assistance from Zoe Tillman.

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