Bost v. Illinois Bd. of Elections · ¶14

Rules that undermine the “integrity of the electoral process” also undermine the winner's political legitimacy. Crawford v. Marion County Election Bd., 553 U. S. 181, 197 (2008) (opinion of Stevens, J.). The counting of unlawful votes—or discarding of lawful ones—erodes public confidence that the election results refect the people's will. And when public confidence in the election results falters, public confidence in the elected representative follows. To the representative, that loss of legitimacy—or its diminution—is a concrete harm. “[R]eputational harms,” as a general matter, are classic Article III injuries. TransUnion LLC v. Ramirez, 594 U. S. 413, 425 (2021) (citing Meese v. Keene, 481 U. S. 465, 473 (1987)). But they are particularly concrete for those whose very jobs depend on the support of the people.

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