The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday upheld state laws that allow election officials to count mail-in ballots received after Election Day, provided they were postmarked by Election Day. The ruling rejects a legal challenge from Republicans who argued that the practice violates federal laws establishing a uniform national Election Day in November.
The decision is a setback for President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticized mail-in voting and claimed—without evidence—that extended ballot counting creates opportunities for election fraud. In a recent interview with NBC News, Trump again raised concerns about ballot processing, citing the Los Angeles mayoral race as an example.
The Supreme Court’s ruling applies specifically to states that require late-arriving mail ballots to be postmarked on or before Election Day. That requirement is already in place in the vast majority of states that provide a post-election grace period for counting mailed ballots.
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the court’s three liberal justices to form the majority, upholding the legality of these state election procedures.
