Election 2020: SCOTUS rejects attempt to block extended ballot deadline

The Supreme Court has rejected Pennsylvania Republicans' second attempt to block an extended deadline for mail-in ballots for the 2020 election.

The high court announced the 5-3 decision Wednesday evening that it will not expedite a Republican request to stop the state's extended deadline for receiving mail-in ballots, a small and potentially temporary victory for Democrats who believe mail-in ballots in the battleground state could determine the election.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett did not participate in the case "because of the need for a prompt resolution of it and because she has not had time to fully review the parties' filings," the court's spokeswoman said.

The court's order did leave open the possibility that the justices could take up the measure again and decide after voting whether a three-day extension to receive and count absentee ballots ordered by the state's high court was proper. The decision leaves open a potential question as to the validity of any ballots received after Election Day.

Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the three dissenting justices -- himself, Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Clarence Thomas -- indicated he would support the court's eventual review of the issue but wrote, "I reluctantly conclude that there is simply not enough time at this late date to decide the question before the election."

Earlier in the month, the Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4 on whether to block the extension -- effectively leaving in place a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision that mandated the extension. Republicans were hoping Barrett's place on the court could produce a different outcome. In the end, Justice Brett Kavanuagh joined the majority in this decision.

Experts say due to the expected record amount of mail-in voting, election night could be more like election week, but Trump said earlier in the day he expects the courts would "hopefully" block any ballot deadline extensions.

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have released new data from the Postal Service on delivery rates -- saying that it shows that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has failed to address concerns about the speed of deliveries raised at his congressional testimony this summer. 

With just six days until Nov. 3, House Democrats are also urging voters to avoid relying on the Postal Service to return their ballots and to instead vote in-person or use drop boxes. 

"At this point, Americans should either vote in person or drop their ballot in an official drop box to avoid their ballots not being delivered on time," Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., the chair of the panel, and Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., said in a statement. "The latest Postal Service data confirms our fears that Postmaster General DeJoy's reckless and unexamined changes undoubtedly resulted in service disruptions right before the election."

-ABC News' Benjamin Siegel

Trump held a rally with hundreds of supporters in Bullhead City, Arizona, this afternoon as coronavirus cases in the state surge and the situation begins to resemble the early stages of the summer spike that made Arizona one of the worst hot spots in the world.

“You are so lucky, people, that I took you on this journey with me,” Trump told the enthusiastic crowd, aiming to pitch himself both to Arizona voters and Nevadans just across the Colorado River.

At one point, Trump defended what he called his "reputation" for stiffing people, saying people who do a “lousy job” don’t deserve to be paid -- using whoever set up his microphone at the rally as an example.

“Whoever did this microphone, don't pay them. You know, I have a reputation for not paying. And it's a false reputation. When somebody does a lousy job like a microphone that is no good or like teleprompters that fly with the wind, I say don't pay them,” Trump said. 

Sen. Kamala Harris is also campaigning in the Cooper State this afternoon, opting for drive-in style rallies and roundtable events, as opposed to the shoulder-to-shoulder events the Trump campaign has hosted. In a parking lot at Pima Community College earlier in the day, Harris pushed back on Trump calling her a “female socialist.” 

“You know there has been some talk about my values. Let me just tell you, Tucson, I am a proud patriotic American. I love my country and our values reflect the values of America,” Harris said. 

-ABC News’ Averi Harper

The Center for Responsive Politics now estimates nearly $14 billion will be spent on federal elections across the country by the end of the 2020 election cycle, nearly twice the total amount spent during the 2016 election cycle.

The center earlier this month projected $11 billion in total spending for the 2020 cycle but updated the number after seeing a huge influx of political spending reported in the third quarter of this year.

This means that even if committees had stopped all spending at the end of September, the 2020 election would still be the most expensive ever.

“Donors poured record amounts of money into the 2018 midterms, and 2020 appears to be a continuation of that trend -- but magnified," CRP Executive Director Sheila Krumholz wrote in a statement. "Ten years ago, a billion-dollar presidential candidate would have been difficult to imagine. This cycle, we’re likely to see two.”

-ABC News’ Soorin Kim