The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on Monday over whether states can continue to count late-arriving mail ballots, a contentious election issue targeted by President Donald Trump. A final ruling is expected by late June, which would govern the counting of ballots in the 2026 midterm congressional elections.
All 50 states require ballots to be cast or postmarked by Election Day, but 14 states, along with the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories, have grace periods for receiving and counting regular mail ballots, ranging from one day to several weeks after the election. Mississippi is among these states, with its grace period now under scrutiny.
Jesse Salinas, president of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials, warned that a ban on grace periods could require all ballots to be counted by midnight on Election Day. This would particularly affect young voters using California's same-day registration system, as their ballots are typically counted later.
Alaska, with its vast geography and limited postal service, could be severely impacted. In the 2022 general election, about 20% of absentee ballots statewide arrived after Election Day, with higher percentages in rural areas. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski noted that “there’s probably no other state where this ruling could have a more detrimental impact than ours.”
Alaska Native voting rights advocates and state officials have filed briefs emphasising the importance of the state's 10-day grace period. Meanwhile, Ohio, Kansas, North Dakota and Utah eliminated grace periods last year, and Minnesota shortened its deadline by a few hours.
