Overview
- The justices, during Monday’s arguments, questioned Mississippi’s rule that lets mail ballots postmarked by Election Day be counted if they arrive within five days.
- Mississippi’s law covers certain voters such as older adults, people with disabilities, and those away from home, and it accepts ballots that the postal service delivers after Election Day.
- The Justice Department under President Trump supported the challengers and urged a same‑day receipt rule, as Justice Samuel Alito pressed for a clear cutoff and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said lawmakers should make that choice.
- A ruling against Mississippi could wipe out post‑Election Day receipt windows in roughly 30 states and Washington, D.C., which would most affect voters who depend on the mail, including military and overseas voters.
- Mail voting remains widely used, with about one‑third of voters choosing it in 2024, and audits have found fraud to be rare even as Trump and Republican allies push stricter rules to build confidence in results.