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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Supreme Court opens its new term on Monday with a docket that touches nearly every front of the nation's culture wars: rifle bans, voter registration rules, religious liberty in public schools and the reach of presidential power. The timing could hardly be more charged, arriving roughly a month before the midterm elections and in the middle of a war with Iran.

With a 6-3 conservative majority in place since 2020, the court enters the term with its two longest-serving conservatives, Justice Clarence Thomas, 78, and Justice Samuel Alito, 76, wielding more influence than at almost any point in their careers.

The Cases Americans Will Be Watching

The calendar already includes several blockbuster arguments. On November 3, the justices hear a dispute over a Colorado preschool enrollment law that pits religious-rights claims against LGBT protections. On December 2, the court takes up challenges to bans on AR-15 and other semiautomatic rifles, a question gun-rights groups and gun-control advocates have waited years to see resolved. On December 8, the court considers an Arizona law requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration. A Texas requirement that classrooms display the Ten Commandments is also among the cases drawing attention.

The term also brings a steady flow of immigration disputes, including challenges to the administration's policy of mandatory detention without bond. And the court has already been drawn into election-season fights: the Trump administration has asked the justices to allow a mail-in ballot rule to proceed, an emergency request that could shape how votes are cast in November.

Thomas and Alito in the Driver's Seat

Scholars say the court's dynamics have changed. "They have been waiting for a long time to be in the position. So why leave?" Kevin McMahon of Trinity College said of Thomas and Alito, according to a GV Wire analysis. Timothy Johnson of the University of Minnesota offered a sharper take, saying the pair "have figured out how to never get into Trump's doghouse."

Alito, who is scheduled to appear on Fox News Sunday, has previously described his approach in simple terms. "I vote in every case the way I think the case should be decided," he told The Wall Street Journal. Supporters say that reflects judicial independence; critics argue the court's conservative wing has become a reliable ally for the administration on key disputes.

The court has indeed handed the president recent wins. Last month, the justices ruled that construction of the White House ballroom could continue, rejecting a challenge to the project.

Politics Hovering Over the Marble Palace

The justices say they stand apart from politics, but the backdrop is unavoidable. Republicans are anxious about the midterms: Cook Political Report recently shifted Senate races in Kansas and South Carolina toward Democrats and rated 10 more GOP-held House seats as likelier to flip. Rising energy prices tied to the Iran conflict have complicated the party's message, and Rep. Ashley Hinson has said Iowans "shouldn't have to foot the bill at the pump or the checkout line for the war in Iran."

President Donald Trump has acknowledged the conflict could cost Republicans in November. He is campaigning in states including Oklahoma, Alabama, Ohio, Texas and Nebraska, while Vice President JD Vance heads to Alaska for a Senate rally. Against that backdrop, any Supreme Court order touching elections, immigration or executive authority will land with outsized political force.

What It Means for Ordinary Americans

The practical consequences are large. A ruling on rifle bans would determine whether states can restrict some of the most popular firearms in the country. A decision on proof-of-citizenship requirements could change registration rules for millions of voters. The religious-liberty cases could redefine how faith and anti-discrimination law interact in schools, and the immigration cases could affect whether people in detention can seek release while their cases proceed.

Most of the term's biggest decisions will not arrive until the spring or early summer of next year, but emergency orders can come at any time. With Election Day approaching, voting rights groups and state officials will be watching the court's shadow docket closely.

The Bottom Line

The court begins its term with public approval often divided along partisan lines and with a majority that shows little hesitation about taking on the nation's most divisive questions. Whether the justices move cautiously or sweepingly, the decisions ahead will shape American life far beyond the courtroom, and the first signals may come within weeks.

This article is based on reporting from GV Wire, The Hill, NBC News and other published accounts.