The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states may continue counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day, provided the ballots were postmarked on or before Election Day, handing a significant victory to supporters of mail voting and rejecting a Republican-backed legal challenge.

In a closely divided 5-4 decision, the Court upheld Mississippi’s law allowing election officials to count absentee ballots that arrive within five business days after Election Day if they were mailed on time. The ruling preserves similar mail-ballot grace periods used in numerous states across the country.

Writing for the majority, Justice Amy Coney Barrett concluded:

“The election-day statutes require the electorate’s choice to be made on election day. That occurs so long as election day is the deadline for individuals to vote… But the election-day statutes do not set a deadline for ballot receipt.”

The case was brought by the Republican National Committee and its allies, who argued that federal law establishes a single Election Day and therefore prohibits ballots from being counted if they arrive after that date, even when mailed on time. The Supreme Court rejected that argument, finding that federal law requires voters to cast their ballots by Election Day but does not require election officials to receive them by that date.

Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the dissenting justices, criticized the majority’s decision, stating:

“The majority’s holding spawns a slurry of troubling election-law questions and risks further undermining Americans’ confidence in election integrity.”

Following the ruling, President Donald Trump expressed disappointment and renewed his call for Congress to pass stricter federal voting legislation.

Trump said:

“In light of the tremendous loss in the Supreme Court today concerning Voter’s Rights… the SAVE America Act is more important than ever.”

Voting-rights organizations welcomed the decision, arguing that grace periods protect voters from postal delays beyond their control, particularly military personnel, overseas citizens, rural residents and elderly voters. Republicans, however, maintained that ballots should be received by Election Day to ensure consistency and strengthen public confidence in election administration.

The judgment is expected to have far-reaching implications for future federal elections by preserving mail-ballot grace periods in states that currently use them, while reinforcing states’ authority to administer elections within the framework established by federal law.