Supreme Court Tackles Dispute Over Mail-in Ballots Ahead Of November Elections

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court connected Monday delves into nan rumor of mail-in voting, weighing whether states tin count ballots that are mailed connected clip but get aft Election Day.

The justices will perceive arguments arsenic President Donald Trump has ramped up his opposition to mail-in voting and urged Congress to prohibition it successful astir cases.

The tribunal is considering a Mississippi law, akin to measures successful 13 different states, that let for mail-in ballots to beryllium counted arsenic agelong arsenic they are postmarked by Election Day. The lawsuit could person implications for nan midterm elections this November, erstwhile voters will determine which statement controls nan House and Senate.

California, New York and Texas are among nan states pinch comparable laws to Mississippi’s. Eligibility for mail-in ballots differs among those states, pinch Mississippi limiting it to a database that includes aged and abnormal people.

If nan tribunal were to onslaught down nan Mississippi statute, it would upend predetermination rules successful nan affected states, arsenic good arsenic perchance for group who unrecorded overseas, including members of nan military. In total, 29 states let extended deadlines for voters overseas and nan military, according to a brief revenge by erstwhile nationalist information officials.

Four Republican states person precocious changed their laws to barroom nan counting of late-arriving ballots. Trump has complained, without evidence, that nan mailing of ballots allows for elections to beryllium “rigged.” The Trump management filed a brief backing nan situation to Mississippi’s law.

Mississippi’s Republican lawyer wide is defending its rule to count ballots that get aft Election Day, pitting nan authorities against nan Republican National Committee and Mississippi’s ain Republican Party. The Libertarian Party of Mississippi has besides challenged nan measure.

While nan Constitution gives states a awesome domiciled successful overseeing elections, nan ineligible mobility revolves astir nan national rule that sets Election Day arsenic nan Tuesday aft nan first Monday successful November.

The challengers reason that this intends ballots must not only beryllium formed but besides received by nan adjacent of Election Day. With astir of nan mail-in ballot laws enacted recently, nan RNC besides argues that location is nary history aliases contented of states allowing late-arriving votes to beryllium counted.

The Mississippi rule allows mail-in ballots to beryllium counted up to 5 days aft Election Day arsenic agelong arsenic they were sent beforehand. The authorities argues that thing successful nan national rule bars states from extending nan deadline for ballots to beryllium received arsenic agelong arsenic nan votes were formed by Election Day.

Those defending nan rule constituent retired that relaxed receipt deadlines for overseas voters successful Florida helped Republican campaigner George W. Bush triumph nan intimately contested 2000 statesmanlike election.