Supreme Court upholds Mississippi law counting late-arriving mail ballots
The Supreme Court upheld a Mississippi law allowing mail ballots received days after Election Day to be counted, rejecting arguments that under federal law, mail ballots must be received by Election Day to count.
TL;DR
- The Supreme Court upheld Mississippi's law allowing mail ballots postmarked by Election Day but received up to five days later to be counted.
- The majority opinion, authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, found that federal law does not preempt state laws permitting the counting of late-arriving mail ballots.
- The ruling clarifies that federal statutes set Election Day as the deadline for voters to cast their ballots, not for the state to receive them.
- Justice Samuel Alito, in a principal dissent joined by Justices Thomas and Gorsuch, argued the decision is flawed and threatens election integrity.
- Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch expressed hope the state legislature will amend the law to require ballots to be received on Election Day.
- RNC chairman Joe Gruters stated the ruling reinforces the party's push for the SAVE America Act to bar late-arriving mail ballots.
- Election integrity advocates criticized the decision, fearing it will lead to confusion and damage public trust in elections.