politics
Supreme Court Upholds State Laws Allowing Mail Ballots After Election Day
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that states may count mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day even if they arrive later. The decision rejected a challenge to Mississippi's five-day grace period and leaves policy changes to legislatures.
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The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on Monday that states may count mail-in ballots arriving after Election Day if they are postmarked on time. The decision upheld a Mississippi law allowing ballots to arrive up to five business days late and rejected arguments that federal statutes require all ballots to be received by Election Day.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote the majority opinion, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and the court's three Democratic appointees. She stated that the election-day statutes say nothing about ballot receipt and that the court cannot add to the words Congress chose.
The ruling responded to a challenge to Mississippi's 2020 law enacted during the Covid-19 pandemic. The court examined whether federal election-day statutes bar states from accepting ballots after Election Day.
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CorroborationStrong · 22 sources
