Supreme Court to consider deadlines for late-arriving mail ballots

CBS News
March 22, 2026
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3 min read

Quick Insights

The Bottom Line

Supreme Court will decide if mail ballots postmarked by Election Day but arriving late should count.

How This Affects You

If you vote by mail, this ruling will determine whether your ballot counts based on when it's mailed versus when it arrives, potentially affecting millions of absentee voters in close elections.

AI Summary

The Supreme Court will decide whether states may count mail ballots that are postmarked by Election Day but arrive after polls close. The issue hinges on whether a ballot's postmark date or receipt date should determine its validity, a question that has divided lower courts and state election officials. The ruling could affect millions of absentee voters in closely contested elections, particularly in states with later mail delivery times. Currently, some states count late-arriving ballots if postmarked timely, while others reject them regardless of postmark date. The decision carries significant weight for both election administration and voting access in future campaigns.

What's Being Done

The Supreme Court is considering the case; lower courts remain divided on the issue.

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