The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that states may count mail-in ballots arriving after Election Day if they are postmarked by the deadline.
The decision prevents a nationwide shift in how votes are tallied, ensuring that millions of voters who rely on postal services are not disenfranchised by delivery delays. By upholding state laws, the Court maintains the current flexibility in election administration across various jurisdictions.
In a five-four decision [1], the Court rejected a legal challenge led by Donald Trump that sought to invalidate ballots arriving after the polls close. The ruling, issued June 29, 2026 [2], confirms that states have the authority to set their own grace periods for the receipt of mail-in votes, provided the voter sent the ballot by the legal deadline.
The challenge argued that counting late-arriving ballots could delay election results and create opportunities for irregularities. However, the majority of the Court found that the existing state frameworks for postmarked ballots are legally sound.
This ruling settles a significant point of contention regarding the legality of the "postmark rule." Under this rule, the date the ballot is mailed serves as the primary evidence of a voter's intent to participate within the legal timeframe, regardless of when the postal service delivers the envelope to election officials.
Legal experts said that the narrow five-four split [1] reflects a deep ideological divide on the bench regarding the balance between state sovereignty and federal election standards. The decision ensures that current state laws regarding mail-in voting remain in effect for the upcoming election cycle.
“The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that states may count mail-in ballots arriving after Election Day if they are postmarked by the deadline.”
This ruling preserves the status quo for state election officials, allowing them to maintain flexible deadlines that account for postal delays. By rejecting the challenge, the Court has signaled that it will not impose a uniform national deadline for ballot receipt, leaving the power to define 'timely' voting within the hands of individual state legislatures.
