Bost v. Illinois Bd. of Elections
View Official PDFBelow are plain-language sections to help you understand what the Court decided in Bost v. Illinois Bd. of Elections and why it matters. Quotes are taken from the syllabus (the Court’s short summary at the start of the opinion).
Summary
A short, plain-English overview of Bost v. Illinois Bd. of Elections.
The Supreme Court addressed whether Congressman Bost had standing to challenge Illinois' election rules regarding mail-in ballots. The Court found that candidates have a concrete interest in the rules governing vote counting, as these rules impact the integrity of elections. The decision reversed the Seventh Circuit's ruling and remanded the case.
Holding
The single most important “bottom line” of what the Court decided in Bost v. Illinois Bd. of Elections.
The Court held that Congressman Bost has standing to challenge the rules governing the counting of votes in his election.
Constitutional Concepts
These are the Constitution-related themes that appear in Bost v. Illinois Bd. of Elections. Click a concept to see other cases that involve the same idea.
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Why Standing is relevant to Bost v. Illinois Bd. of Elections
The core issue addressed by the Court is whether Congressman Bost has standing to challenge the election rules.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)Held: As a candidate for office, Congressman Bost has standing to challenge the rules that govern the counting of votes in his election.
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Why Voting Rights is relevant to Bost v. Illinois Bd. of Elections
The case involves the rules governing the counting of votes, which directly relates to voting rights and election processes.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)Candidates have a concrete and particularized interest in the rules that govern the counting of votes in their elections.
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Why Judicial Review is relevant to Bost v. Illinois Bd. of Elections
The Court's decision involves reviewing and potentially invalidating state election rules, which is an exercise of judicial review.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)Counting first and ruling upon legality afterwards is not a recipe for producing election results that have the public acceptance democratic stability requires.
Key Quotes
Short excerpts from the syllabus in Bost v. Illinois Bd. of Elections that support the summary and concepts above.
Candidates have a concrete and particularized interest in the rules that govern the counting of votes in their elections.
Candidates also have an interest in a fair process.
Rules that undermine the integrity of the electoral process also undermine the winner’s political legitimacy.
