Here’s how conservative the supreme court could tip with Amy Coney Barrett The scales of justice at the US supreme court have tipped firmly towards a conservative ideology for decadesto come after the election of judge Amy Coney Barrett, according to a dataset that measures the values of US justices. Barrett, an avowed conservative, replaces the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the court’s most liberal justice, as the ninth justice on the highest court in the country. With Barrett on the supreme court, many fear that rulings on human rights issues such as access to abortion and LGBTQ+ rights will become more conservative. There is clear evidence to support those concerns. By looking at justices’ past voting records, academics have been able to measure their views on a spectrum from “more liberal” to “more conservative”. To do this, the supreme court database was analyzed by Lee Epstein and Andrew Martin of Washington University in St Louis and Kevin Quinn of the University of Michigan. A score was then assigned to each of the justices. Missing at Barrett’s swearing-in ceremony: most of the justices. Bloomberg’s Greg Stohr points out that Clarence Thomas, who swore Barrett in and is perhaps the most conservative of the supreme court justices, was the only member of the highest court in attendance. Twitter quickly flagged a tweet from Donald Trump spreading misinformation that there were discrepancies with mail-in voting, and demanding that a winner should be called on election night. Official results are never tabulated by election night. Here’s a thorough response to frequently asked questions about mail-in voting, from my colleague Sam Levine: In these extraordinary times, the Guardian’s editorial independence has never been more important. Because no one sets our agenda, or edits our editor, we can keep delivering quality, trustworthy, fact-checked journalism each and every day. 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Thomas administered the constitutional oath to Barrett. “The oath that I’ve solemnly taken tonight, means at its core that I will do my job without any fear or favor and that I will do so independently of both the political branches and of my own preferences,” Barrett said. “I love the Constitution and the democratic republic that it establishes and I will devote myself to preserving it.” A White House event celebrating Barrett’s nomination in the Rose Garden has been linked to a coronavirus outbreak that infected Donald Trump and several other aides, lawmakers and campaign staff. At the event tonight, chairs for attendees were socially distanced, and most wore masks – but Trump, Barrett, and justice Clarence Thomas did not. Amy Coney Barrett is sworn in as a justice In a ceremony held on the White House South Lawn, Barrett swore one of two oaths required to take her seat on the supreme court. In a gloating tweet, Republicans in the House of Representatives noted Barrett’s confirmation and wrote, “Happy birthday @HillaryClinton!” Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation will have an immediate effect on the outcome of the 2020 election. Two decades ago, in Bush v Gore, the supreme court decided – effectively – that George W Bush would be the US president after settling a recount dispute in swing-state Florida. Back then, three conservative justices – William Rehnquist, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas – said that the Florida supreme court “impermissibly distorted” the state’s election code by ordering a recount of a close election where voting machines were found to have issues correctly counting votes. Today, Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch (both Trump appointees) endorsed that view in the Bush v Gore in a ruling to block a deadline extension for counting absentee ballots in Wisconsin. Kamala Harris, who returned from the campaign trail to the Senate to cast her “no” vote against Barrett’s confirmation, said, “Republicans denied the will of the American people by confirming a supreme court justice.” She noted that this confirmation will likely help Republicans win a legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act, in a case the supreme court is scheduled to hear shortly after election day. “We won’t forget this,” she said, echoing the words of senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, who spoke prior to the confirmation vote. The National Rifle Association (NRA) is celebrating Barrett’s confirmation. As my colleague Lois Beckett points out, the NRA now has three pro-gun, Trump-appointed judges on its side, against attempts – supported by the majority of Americans – to enact gun control measures.