Supreme Court Dismisses 2020 Election Appeal

The Supreme Court decided Monday not to hear a challenge to the Pennsylvania state court’s ruling that 2020 presidential election ballots could be counted if they were received up to three days after Election Day. The decision to dismiss the case came as the nation's high court rejected several different election-related matters. Three of the court's nine justices dissented in the Pennsylvania decision: conservatives Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito. In his dissent, Thomas acknowledged that the case wouldn't have impacted the election's outcome, but said "the decision to leave election law hidden beneath a shroud of doubt is baffling. By doing nothing, we invite further confusion and erosion of voter confidence." The decision came as the court also elected to allow the Manhattan district attorney to obtain former President Donald Trump's tax returns. Reports from across the spectrum, particularly from left- and center-rated outlets, framed the news as the formal end of election-related legal disputes. Coverage from right-rated sources often concentrated on the dissent from Thomas.