Takeaways from arguments in the Supreme Court case that could end grace periods for mail-in ballots | CNN Politics

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority appeared dubious of state laws that allow the counting of mail ballots that arrive at election offices after Election Day as justices heard oral arguments in a challenge to Mississippi’s five-day grace period for mail ballots. Over the course of more than two hours, justices raised an assortment of reasons why they saw those policies as problematic, seemingly embracing Republicans’ arguments that the state laws run afoul of statutes passed by Congress establishing Election Day in November for federal offices. The lawsuit against Mississippi’s practice was brought by the Republican National Committee in 2024 and puts into jeopardy the mail ballot deadlines of several other states. Thirteen other states and the District of Columbia also set mail ballot receipt deadlines after Election Day, and 29 states, plus DC, count ballots that arrive after Election Day that are cast by military families and citizens living overseas in certain circumstances, according to the National Conference of State Legislature. The Trump administration is supporting the RNC in the case, but it argues those overseas ballots can be carved out of a ruling agains

Mar 23, 2026 → Mar 25, 2026