The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday to uphold a Mississippi law allowing mail-in ballots to be counted after Election Day [1].
The decision preserves the ability of states to establish grace periods for ballots that are mailed by the legal deadline. This ruling blocks efforts to implement a nationwide restriction on when late-arriving mail-in votes can be tallied.
In a five-four vote, the court rejected a challenge led by Donald J. Trump that sought to pre-empt state laws allowing such grace periods [2]. The specific Mississippi law under review permits ballots to be counted up to five days after Election Day, provided they were postmarked by the deadline [3].
Chief Justice John Roberts said, "This decision protects the right of voters to have their ballots counted when they are timely mailed" [4].
The ruling represents a significant legal setback for the Trump administration's efforts to tighten voting regulations. An NPR Justice Analyst said the court has rejected the administration's attempt to limit mail-in voting [5].
Donald J. Trump said, "We see this as a tremendous loss for the American people" [6]. Despite the defeat, Trump has continued to advocate for other election measures, including a voter ID bill [6].
The court's decision ensures that Mississippi can maintain its current system for counting postmarked ballots for the foreseeable future [3].
“This decision protects the right of voters to have their ballots counted when they are timely mailed.”
This ruling reinforces the principle of state sovereignty over election administration. By upholding the grace period, the Court prevents a federal mandate that would disqualify ballots delayed by postal services, provided the voter met the mailing deadline. This maintains a legal buffer for voters in states like Mississippi and complicates efforts to standardize strict arrival deadlines across the U.S.
