With the presidential race approaching the finish line, campus and local political organizations weighed in on how the election might shape the future of the federal judiciary.

Former President Donald Trump, who held office from 2017 to 2021, set a record for the greatest number of U.S. Supreme Court appointments since Ronald Reagan, elevating Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett to lifetime tenure on the nation’s highest court. In recent years, the conservative majority on the Court has issued high-profile, controversial rulings about gun rights, abortion and presidential immunity. The upcoming election will determine which president — and likely political party — will fill potential vacancies on the nation’s highest court and other federal courts.

Members of the local Democratic party criticized a series of Supreme Court rulings on issues ranging from affirmative action to the Second Amendment. Karen Beebe, the chair of the Broome County Democratic Party, shared her concerns about the Supreme Court’s impact after Trump’s appointments.

“Trump already created the most conservative court in generations; a court that will have a lasting impact for decades to come,” Beebe wrote in an email. “The rulings from his Conservative Federalist Society Supreme Court rolled back rights, equity, and equality for women and people of color while EXPANDING the rights of gun owners. These rulings lack popular support but appease Evangelicals and the MAGA base.”

Several of the Court’s rulings have influenced campaign strategy with hopes of swaying voters. Abortion has become a high-salience issue for voters following the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which overturned the nearly half-century-old precedent that established a constitutional right to an abortion. Vice President Kamala Harris has made reproductive freedom a cornerstone of her campaign.

The College Democrats voiced their support for Harris’ views on reproductive freedom and said they believe she may be able to mitigate the ramifications of the Dobbs decision.

“Vice President Harris has already advocated for federal legislation to codify the abortion protections of the Roe v. Wade (1973) decision and has vowed to sign any such legislation into law, as well as ensuring that she would veto any national abortion ban bill that passed her desk,” the organization wrote to Pipe Dream.

Trump previously took credit for overturning Roe v. Wade, referring to his Supreme Court appointments. In his campaign, he has claimed he will veto a 15-week national abortion ban — however, he plans to allow states to continue implementing abortion restrictions and uphold the Dobbs ruling.

Presidential immunity is another controversial issue that could move election results this year. A few months ago in Trump v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled that former presidents are entitled to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts that involve “the President’s exercise of his core constitutional powers.” The case stemmed from a lawsuit following an August 2023 indictment charging Trump with four counts related to his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election and involvement in the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol Building.

Shane Rossi, the president of the College Republicans and a junior majoring in political science, said he agreed with the ruling, writing that “presidential immunity is a cornerstone of our nation” and necessary for effective leadership. The College Democrats voiced their disagreement with the decision, saying the ruling would “further embolden [Trump] to commit corrupt attacks during a potential second term, as he was already doing so during his first.”

The Court’s decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen held that the Second Amendment protects an “individual’s right to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home.” Harris has a history of supporting restrictions on gun ownership and mandatory background checks, currently overseeing the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. She has said that she is a gun owner and supports the Second Amendment while still advocating for stricter gun control laws to be enacted. Trump has promised to uphold the right to bear arms and during his presidency, loosened gun restrictions.

The College Democrats expressed concerns about how a conservative president would affect existing gun control and gun violence prevention measures. They wrote that if reelected, Trump would “roll back gun control measures and call on Congress to pass legislation aiding this agenda,” leading to decreased national security and more gun violence.

The Court will have the ability to either hinder or advance either candidate’s initiatives and will play a critical role in each candidate’s success as a president.

“The Supreme Court will be effective at upholding a lot of the immigration reforms that Trump wants to begin and will be essential in ensuring border security,” Rossi wrote. “For Harris, it will be a stumbling block for a lot of the government regulations on corporations and business she has committed to doing.”

The election’s outcome has the potential to shape the future of the Supreme Court with the possibility of new appointments and reforms to the judicial system in the upcoming term. However, the likelihood of an opportunity for new appointments may be low.

Rossi said he believed the circumstances leading to Trump’s appointments were rare and that another opportunity to appoint as many justices would not occur for “maybe 10 years.” Two current Justices — Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito — are over the age of 70, while Justice Sonia Sotomayor turned 70 this past June. Chief Justice John Roberts will turn 70 in January.

The future of the Court will undoubtedly play a role at the polls this November. Yet, the existing impact of these previous Supreme Court rulings may have ramifications that stretch beyond the next four years.