On April 27, 2020, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich (R), in his official capacity, and the Arizona Republican Party, filed separate appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court. The two appeals were consolidated as Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee .
The table below lists the judges who heard the case, their ruling, and the president that appointed the judge. Judge William Fletcher wrote the majority opinion, Judge Paul Watford wrote a concurring opinion, and Judges Diarmuid O'Scannlain and Jay Bybee each wrote dissents.
The DNC claimed the Arizona policy and law violated the First , 14th, and 15th Amendments as well as Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act "by adversely and disparately impacting the electoral opportunities of Hispanic, African American, and Native American Arizonans."
On May 8, 2018, Judge Douglas Rayes of the United States District Court for the District of Arizona issued a ruling in The Democratic National Committee v. Reagan. Rayes, an appointee of President Barack Obama (D), ruled in favor of the defendants on all claims. To read the full ruling, click here.
Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (D) took office in January 2019. On February 4, 2019, Hobbs was substituted as defendant in the case for the former secretary of state Michele Reagan (R), so the case was renamed Democratic National Committee v. Hobbs.
A temporary injunction issued before or during a trial to prevent an irreparable injury from occurring before a court can rule in a case. , which the U.S. Supreme Court stayed the next day. In October 2017, the district court held a trial on the merits, ultimately ruling in favor of the state of Arizona.
The Supreme Court began hearing cases for the term on October 5, 2020. The court's yearly term begins on the first Monday in October and lasts until the first Monday in October the following year. The court generally releases the majority of its decisions in mid-June.