Elrod, Sheriff, et al. v. Burns et al.

Decided June 25, 1976. William Joseph Brennan Jr. delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 74-1520 · 427 U.S. 347 (1976) · Cited 4,553 times

We don’t yet publish a summary of this opinion — read the official text below for the Court’s holding and reasoning.

How the Justices voted

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Buckley v. Valeo · 424 U.S. 1 (1976)
• United Public Workers of America v. Mitchell · 330 U.S. 75 (1947)
• United States Civil Service Commission v. National Ass'n of Letter Carriers · 413 U.S. 548 (1973)
• Perry v. Sindermann · 408 U.S. 593 (1972)
• Keyishian v. Board of Regents of Univ. of State of NY · 385 U.S. 589 (1967)
• Williams v. Rhodes · 393 U.S. 23 (1968)
• American Communications Assn. v. Douds · 339 U.S. 382 (1950)
• Baker v. Carr · 369 U.S. 186 (1962)
• United States v. O'Brien · 391 U.S. 367 (1968)
• Sherbert v. Verner · 374 U.S. 398 (1963)
• West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette · 319 U.S. 624 (1943)
• Pickering v. Board of Ed. of Township High School Dist. 205, Will Cty. · 391 U.S. 563 (1968)
• National Ass'n for the Advancement of Colored People v. Alabama Ex Rel. Patterson · 357 U.S. 449 (1958)
• Wieman v. Updegraff · 344 U.S. 183 (1952)
• Kusper v. Pontikes · 414 U.S. 51 (1973)
• Garner v. Board of Public Works of Los Angeles · 341 U.S. 716 (1951)
• National Ass'n for the Advancement of Colored People v. Button · 371 U.S. 415 (1963)
• Cafeteria & Restaurant Workers Union, Local 473 v. McElroy · 367 U.S. 886 (1961)
• Speiser v. Randall · 357 U.S. 513 (1958)
• Graham v. Richardson · 403 U.S. 365 (1971)
• Storer v. Brown · 415 U.S. 724 (1974)
• Myers v. United States · 272 U.S. 52 (1926)
• Bates v. City of Little Rock · 361 U.S. 516 (1960)
• United States v. Robel · 389 U.S. 258 (1967)
• Wood v. Georgia · 370 U.S. 375 (1962)
• Board of Regents of State Colleges v. Roth · 408 U.S. 564 (1972)
• New York Times Co. v. Sullivan · 376 U.S. 254 (1964)
• Goldberg v. Kelly · 397 U.S. 254 (1970)
• Broadrick v. Oklahoma · 413 U.S. 601 (1973)
• Brown v. Board of Education · 347 U.S. 483 (1954)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Rutan v. Republican Party of Illinois · 497 U.S. 62 (1990)
• Branti v. Finkel · 445 U.S. 507 (1980)
• O'Hare Truck Service, Inc. v. City of Northlake · 518 U.S. 712 (1996)
• Abood v. Detroit Board of Education · 431 U.S. 209 (1977)
• Board of Comm'rs, Wabaunsee Cty. v. Umbehr · 518 U.S. 668 (1996)
• Janus v. State, County, and Municipal Employees · 585 U.S. 878 (2018)
• Vieth v. Jubelirer · 541 U.S. 267 (2004)
• Foley v. Connelie · 435 U.S. 291 (1978)
• Heffernan v. City of Paterson · 578 U.S. 266 (2016)
• Rucho v. Common Cause · 588 U.S. 684 (2019)
• Fullilove v. Klutznick · 448 U.S. 448 (1980)
• Clements v. Fashing · 457 U.S. 957 (1982)
• Minnesota State Board for Community Colleges v. Knight · 465 U.S. 271 (1984)
• Federal Communications Commission v. National Citizens Committee for Broadcasting · 436 U.S. 775 (1978)
• United States v. American Library Assn., Inc. · 539 U.S. 194 (2003)
• Connick Ex Rel. Parish of Orleans v. Myers · 461 U.S. 138 (1983)
• Davis v. Passman · 442 U.S. 228 (1979)
• Thornburgh v. Abbott · 490 U.S. 401 (1989)
• Engquist v. Oregon Department of Agriculture · 553 U.S. 591 (2008)
• First Nat. Bank of Boston v. Bellotti · 435 U.S. 765 (1978)
• Nixon v. Administrator of General Services · 433 U.S. 425 (1977)
• Rust v. Sullivan · 500 U.S. 173 (1991)
• Dolan v. City of Tigard · 512 U.S. 374 (1994)
• Knox v. Service Employees International Union, Local 1000 · 567 U.S. 298 (2012)
• Eu v. San Francisco County Democratic Central Committee · 489 U.S. 214 (1989)
• Sable Communications of California, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission · 492 U.S. 115 (1989)
• Tashjian v. Republican Party of Connecticut · 479 U.S. 208 (1986)
• Lefkowitz v. Cunningham · 431 U.S. 801 (1977)
• Chicago Teachers Union, Local No. 1 v. Hudson · 475 U.S. 292 (1986)
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo · 592 U.S. 14 (2020)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).