Supreme Court rules states can count late-arriving mailed ballots, rejecting Trump-led challenge

By — Mark Sherman, Associated Press Mark Sherman, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/supreme-court-rules-states-can-count-late-arriving-mailed-ballots-rejecting-trump-led-challenge Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Supreme Court rules states can count late-arriving mailed ballots, rejecting Trump-led challenge Politics Jun 29, 2026 10:41 AM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that states can count ballots that arrive after Election Day, a persistent target of President Donald Trump. The decision rejected a Republican-led attack on laws in more than half the states and the District of Columbia that permit mailed ballots to arrive and be counted some number of days after the election, provided they are postmarked by Election Day. The outcome spares officials the headache of changing their ballot rules just a few months before the 2026 midterm congressional elections. LISTEN: Supreme Court considers late-arriving mail ballot laws in case that may affect midterms In just over half those states, the more forgiving deadlines apply only to ballots cast by military and overseas voters. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. The legal challenge was part of Trump's broader attack on most mail balloting, which he has said breeds fraud despite strong evidence to the contrary and years of experience in numerous states. Trump has repeatedly claimed that his loss to Joe Biden in 2020 resulted from fraud even though more than 60 court decisions and his own attorney general said that argument had no merit. READ MORE: Supreme Court will weigh Trump-backed Republican push to revive Arizona voting laws The court heard arguments in March in a case from Mississippi pitting the state against Trump's Republican administration and the Republican and Libertarian parties. At issue was whether federal law sets a single Election Day that requires ballots to be both cast by voters and received by state officials. The federal appeals court in New Orleans struck down a Mississippi law allowing ballots to be counted if they arrive within five business days of the election and are postmarked by Election Day. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now