Supreme Court hears Mississippi case on late-arriving mail ballots
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- The Supreme Court is hearing a case from Mississippi regarding whether states can count mail ballots that arrive late but are postmarked by Election Day, a practice targeted by former President Donald Trump.
- The ruling could impact 14 states and the District of Columbia, which allow grace periods for late-arriving ballots, as well as 15 states with extended deadlines for military and overseas voters.
- Election officials warn that changing ballot deadline rules shortly before elections could cause confusion and disenfranchisement, especially in states with long-standing relaxed deadlines.
- The case challenges whether federal law mandates that ballots must be both cast and received by Election Day, with a recent appellate ruling striking down Mississippi’s five-day grace period for counting ballots.
- The Supreme Court’s decision, expected by late June, will influence voting procedures for the 2026 midterm elections amid ongoing disputes over mail-in voting and election integrity.
