Supreme Court to Rule on Legality of Late-Arriving Mail Ballots
The Supreme Court will decide whether states can count mail-in ballots received after Election Day, a major dispute impacting election procedures nationwide and challenged by the Republican National Committee.
Overview
- The Supreme Court is set to rule on the legality of counting mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day, a decision with significant nationwide implications for election procedures.
- The case stems from an appeal by Mississippi after the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled its law, allowing ballots up to five days late if postmarked by Election Day, violated federal law.
- Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch warned that upholding the appellate ruling could destabilize election processes across the country, affecting states that currently allow such ballots.
- The Republican National Committee is challenging Mississippi's law, arguing that counting late-arriving ballots undermines election confidence, a sentiment echoed by Trump.
- The Supreme Court's decision, expected in late winter or early spring, will determine whether states can continue to accept and count mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day but received afterward.
Report issue
Read both sides in 5 minutes each day
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story by highlighting the political origins of the challenge to mail-in ballots. They emphasize that the shift in Republican stance against expanded absentee voting occurred "at the instigation of President Donald Trump," whose complaints about "rigged" elections are explicitly noted as being "without evidence." This editorial choice subtly links the current legal dispute to unsubstantiated political claims, shaping the narrative around the motivations behind the RNC's argument.
"The stakes are high: ballots cast by — but received after — election day can swing close races and change the course of the country."
CBS News"Supreme Court will decide whether states can count late-arriving mail ballots, a Trump target."
ABC News"The case pits Republican-led Mississippi, defending its election law that allows for mail-in ballots received after Election Day to be counted, against the Republican National Committee and the state's own Republican Party."
NBC News"The Supreme Court will decide whether mailed ballots must be received by Election Day and not just postmarked by then, agreeing to review the Republican Party’s so-far successful challenge to a Mississippi law that could affect similar rules in many other states."
USA TODAYArticles (8)
Center (4)
FAQ
Eighteen states and the District of Columbia allow counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day if they are postmarked by Election Day, including swing states like Nevada and states that rely heavily on mail voting such as Colorado, Oregon, and Utah.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Mississippi's law permitting ballots arriving up to five days after Election Day to be counted violated federal law, which requires mail-in ballots to arrive by Election Day.
The Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments in late winter or early spring and issue a final ruling by late June, in time to impact the 2026 midterm congressional elections.
The Republican National Committee challenges the counting of late-arriving ballots, arguing that it undermines election confidence, a concern echoed by former President Trump.
Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch warned that upholding the appellate court ruling would have destabilizing nationwide ramifications for election processes, affecting states that currently allow counting late-arriving mail ballots.
History
- This story does not have any previous versions.