Reply #5: that's not quite how I read the briefs

[OnTheOtherHand]

Moritz page here. (The "merit brief" is more readable than the original "reply.")

I wouldn't say that Brunner appeared to want direction from the courts; she (or the Attorney General on her behalf) seemed pretty adamant that it was within her purview to interpret the statutory requirement.

I don't think the voter registration deadline is even 'in play' here. If voters missed the deadline for requesting absentee ballots (i.e., submitting a corrected application), they probably wouldn't receive one; they would still be registered to vote, although in some cases it might be difficult or perhaps impossible for them to vote on election day.

I like the way the ruling turned out (I see that the Brennan Center filed an amicus brief on that side as well), although I see both sides. The law is sufficiently ambiguous that both sides could feel ill-used, but Brunner seems to be handling the aftermath just right.