Supreme Court Rejects 5-4 GOP Bid to Toss Mississippi Ballots
Updated
Updated · Vox.com · Jun 29
Supreme Court Rejects 5-4 GOP Bid to Toss Mississippi Ballots
3 articles · Updated · Vox.com · Jun 29
Summary
A 5-4 Supreme Court ruling left Mississippi’s five-day mail-ballot grace period intact, blocking a Republican effort to invalidate absentee ballots mailed by Election Day but received later.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s majority said federal election-day laws set when voters must cast ballots, not when states must finish receiving and counting them.
Mississippi is one of 30 states allowing at least some ballots to arrive after Election Day, and the decision also shields similar rules in 13 states and Washington, D.C.
The ruling rejected the GOP’s reliance on 19th-century statutes, while the four dissenters argued late-counted ballots can fuel distrust and should be barred under federal law.
How will the USPS's new postmark policy affect ballots, even with the Supreme Court's grace period ruling?
Beyond postmarks, what technologies could improve the security and tracking of mail-in ballots for future elections?
What new challenges do states face with the proposed federal rule requiring them to share voter lists with the USPS?
Supreme Court’s 5-4 Ruling Backs Mississippi Law Allowing Ballots Received After Election Day
Overview
On June 29, 2026, the Supreme Court upheld Mississippi’s law allowing mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if received within five days, a rule created by the state’s Republican-led legislature during the pandemic. The Republican National Committee challenged this law, arguing that federal law requires ballots to be received by Election Day. Their concerns included the risk that late-arriving ballots could shift election outcomes and undermine trust in results. Despite a previous ruling against the grace period, the Supreme Court’s decision supports states’ flexibility in handling mail-in ballots, aiming to balance voter access with election integrity.