The Supreme Court is constantly confronted with last-minute election questions

Welcome back, Deadline: Legal Newsletter Readers. The Supreme Court on Friday evening rejected a Republican bid of Pennsylvania to prevent certain ballots from being counted in the swing state. But on Wednesday, the court backed the Republican Party in approving a voter purge in Virginia. We will have to see which court will appear next week and during any election cases.

In the Pennsylvania caseRepublicans wanted the judges block counting provisional ballots by voters whose mail ballots have been rejected due to technical defects. The Supreme Court rejected the challenge, with Justice Samuel Alito issuing an injunction accompanying statement that said the case raised a matter of “significant importance.” But in the statement, joined by fellow GOP appointees Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, he said procedural issues in the appeal meant they could not provide relief to Republicans even if they wanted to.

In the Virginia case the Roberts Court sided with the Republicans over dissent from the three Democratic appointees. And what was the majority’s rationale for approving the state’s voter purge, which apparently violated the election federal law? It gave no explanation for saying that American citizens affected removed from the rolls, despite the state’s claim that it was trying to remove non-citizens. While the order applies to a state that is not considered one of the key battlegrounds, it sets a troubling precedent for any potential voting rights lawsuits.

The judges rejected Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s bids. off to get out the mood in swing states Wisconsin and Michigan. The court previously rejected Kennedy’s quest to get on The vote in New York, after the former independent candidate suspended his campaign in August and endorsed Trump. Michigan lawyers successfully opposed Kennedy’s appeal pointed out that he failed to explain “how he could be irreparably injured by the very thing he asked for in New York.”

That didn’t stop Gorsuch of differing opinions. The Trump-appointed judge said he was convinced by the opinions of Trump-appointed appeals court judges who said Kennedy raised a crucial issue: “Does forcing someone to vote violate the First Amendment?” But the court did not consider it important enough to comment on it.

Cornel West also lost at the Supreme Court this week. The spoiler candidate popular an order posted at polling places in Pennsylvania, telling voters they can nominate him for president. But Alito, who handles emergency orders from that region, rejected West’s long-awaited offer on his ownthus, in effect, deeming it unworthy of being referred to the full court.

The judges return to the bench Monday to kick off the two-week argument session in November with a handful of hearings has nothing to do with the elections. While any appeal may be important, we will be closely monitoring all orders in voting matters, both leading up to and after Election Day. The question I asked at the beginning of the term – “Will the Republican-appointed majority find a way to the Republican candidate back in the office?” – remains open.

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