Supreme Court upholds grace periods for mail-in ballots : NPR

Key Points:

• The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Mississippi law allowing election officials to count mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day but received up to five days later, in a 5-4 ruling authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
• This ruling marks a defeat for the Republican Party, which challenged the law ahead of the 2024 midterm elections, arguing that only Congress can set election deadlines, not states.
• Eighteen states and territories, mostly Democratic-led, have similar ballot grace periods, which help accommodate postal delays and other unforeseen issues affecting absentee ballots.
• The dissent, led by Justice Samuel Alito, expressed concerns that the ruling could undermine election integrity and raise complex legal questions about election laws.
• The case reflects ongoing partisan disputes over mail-in voting rules, with Republicans, including former President Trump, pushing to eliminate grace periods, while election officials emphasize their importance in ensuring voter access.