Illinois State Board of Elections v. Socialist Workers Party
440 U.S. 173 · Decided February 22, 1979 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Illinois State Board of Elections v. Socialist Workers Party was decided on February 22, 1979 unanimously (9–0). The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Ballot access” in the Civil Rights area. SCDB records that the Court declared a state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision unconstitutional.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 440 U.S. 173 · 99 S. Ct. 983 · 59 L. Ed. 2d 230 · 1979 U.S. LEXIS 61
- Docket number
- 77-1248
- Decided
- February 22, 1979
- Argued
- November 6, 1978
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Thurgood Marshall
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Appeal
- Issue (SCDB)
- Ballot access
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Held unconstitutional
- A state or territorial law, regulation or constitutional provision
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Special concurrence | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Special concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Illinois State Board of Elections v. Socialist Workers Party et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1978-043, docket 1978-043-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Ballot access”
- Mandel v. Bradley
- Clements v. Fashing
- Anderson v. CelebrezzeLaw held unconstitutional
- Lubin v. PanishLaw held unconstitutional
- Storer v. Brown
- American Party of Texas v. White
Cases on the same legal provision: Fourteenth Amendment (equal protection)
- Orr v. OrrLaw held unconstitutional
- Ambach v. Norwick
- Parham v. Hughes
- Caban v. Mohammed et Ux.Law held unconstitutional
- Lalli v. Lalli
- Holt Civic Club v. City of Tuscaloosa
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Board of Trustees of Keene State College v. Sweeney
- Dougherty County v. White
- Holt Civic Club v. City of Tuscaloosa
- Califano v. Aznavorian
- Lalli v. Lalli
- Duren v. MissouriAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error