Actually, I would be surprised if they actively affirm this. They will either decline to take this case (which would serve the same purpose without taking on any of the political heat) or decide to damn the torpedoes and strike down the 9th for way overstepping their bounds.
On that we completely agree. I would not expect a ruling to sustain the 9th Circuit. I would anticipate either a summary affirmation or a ruling that overturns for one reason or another. Maybe I didn't make myself sufficiently clear previously. While, on its face, I think the 9th Circuit ruling consistent with Bush v Gore, I do not think it consistent with the actual intent of the SCOTUS. If the Supreme Court actually agrees to review, then I think they will clarify Bush v Gore and overturn.
However, I think odds favor the Supreme Court not wading into the morass at all. From their perspective, this is the sort of one-time circumstance which doesn't require the establishment of enduring precedent. Yeah, we might think it's imperative that the recall take place in October rather than March, but in the grand scheme of things, it's a rather trivial distinction in the nation's history.
In short, I think the SCOTUS will not see fit to intervene over such an incidental point of law, when the underlying principles [voting machinery and equal standards] are still in a state of flux. I could very well be proven wrong...