On August 19, the U.S. Supreme Court rebuked the Eleventh Circuit for staying a U.S. District Court on the subject of Georgia Public Service Commissioner elections. Georgia elects Public Service Commissioners on a statewide basis. In 2020 some Georgia voters had filed a lawsuit arguing that the at-large methods injures Black voters. Earlier this year, the U.S. District Court had ruled in favor of those voters, and had told Georgia not to hold general elections for that office this year (even though that office had been on the ballot in the 2022 primaries).

The Eleventh Circuit then stayed the U.S. District Court order and told the state to hold the two elections (two seats are up this year).

Now the U.S. Supreme Court has said that the Eleventh Circuit’s rationale for reversing the U.S. District Court, the Purcell Principle, was improper. The “Purcell Principle” is a doctrine that courts should not change election administration procedures too close to an election.

The U.S. Supreme Court says the Eleventh Circuit is still free to stop the Public Service Commissioner elections on other grounds, if it wishes to. But it must not use the Purcell Principle. Here is the U.S. Supreme Court order.