Supreme Court rules late-arriving ballots can be counted, a Trump loss

Key Points:

• The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that states can count mail-in ballots arriving after Election Day if they are postmarked by that day, rejecting a Republican challenge to these laws in over half the states and D.C.
• Justice Amy Coney Barrett, writing for the majority, emphasized that federal law leaves the timing of ballot receipt open and suggested Congress should address any national uniformity.
• The ruling preserves existing state deadlines for counting ballots, including more lenient deadlines for military and overseas voters, avoiding last-minute changes before the 2026 midterms.
• The case stemmed from a Mississippi law dispute and was part of former President Trump's broader efforts to challenge mail-in voting, which he claims leads to fraud despite lack of evidence.
• Trump condemned the ruling as a "tremendous loss" and urged Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, while election officials welcomed the decision as it avoids administrative difficulties.