SCOTUS Weighs Mississippi Mail-In Ballot Deadline
Should mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day count or does this lenience pose an electoral threat?
Above: Vote by Mail ballots being inspected at the Los Angeles County Ballot Processing Center on Nov. 4, 2025. Image credit: Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Counting ballots postmarked by Election Day but received days later is fully consistent with American tradition — Congress never stripped states of the power to regulate ballot receipt and history backs this up. Gutting mail-in ballot protections would disenfranchise millions who rely on absentee voting.
Republican narrative
Election Day means Election Day — ballots that trickle in days after a vote should not be allowed to flip results. Conservative justices are right to be skeptical of late-arriving ballots that create uncertainty and undermine confidence in outcomes. Strict receipt deadlines are the commonsense standard that keeps results trustworthy.
