Supreme Court upholds grace period for late-arriving mail-in ballots
Summary
The Supreme Court agreed to keep a Mississippi law that counts mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day as long as they arrive within five business days after. This decision supports similar voting rules in other states and could affect the upcoming November elections.Key Facts
- The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to uphold Mississippi’s law on mail-in ballots.
- Ballots must be postmarked by Election Day but can arrive within five business days to be counted.
- Four justices dissented: Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh.
- Mississippi Secretary of State said voters make their final choice by Election Day, even if ballots arrive later.
- The court’s majority said voting finishes when the voter sends the ballot, not when officials get it.
- Military and overseas voter groups warned that disallowing late-arriving ballots would create more difficulties for voters abroad.
- The ruling affects other election-related cases the Supreme Court is handling this term.
- The Trump administration supported those challenging the law, concerned late ballots could harm election integrity.
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