The U.S. Supreme Court to Review Challenge on Ballot Deadline
Authored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times,
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case challenging a federal law that prohibits the counting of mail-in ballots received after Election Day.
The court has granted the petition in Watson v. Republican National Committee, with no dissenting justices.
The lawsuit was brought by the Republican National Committee, the state Republican Party, and the state’s Libertarian Party.
According to a National Conference of State Legislatures report, eighteen states allow mailed ballots received after Election Day if they have a postmark from on or before Election Day.
Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson filed the petition with the Supreme Court earlier this year.
The petition argues that federal law designates the Tuesday after the first Monday in November as Election Day for federal offices.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that the federal law takes precedence over Mississippi law, which allows ballots to be counted if received within five business days after Election Day.
The dissenting judges in the Fifth Circuit stated that the ruling has nationwide implications and conflicts with established legal principles.
In another case, the Supreme Court seemed open to considering a challenge to an Illinois law allowing ballot counting for two weeks after Election Day.
The focus of the arguments in the case of Bost v. Illinois State Board of Elections was on legal standing rather than the merits of the lawsuit.
Legal standing is crucial in determining the right to participate in a lawsuit.
If successful, the lawmaker’s lawsuit could resume in lower courts, with a potential ruling expected by June 2026.
Stay tuned for updates on these significant legal battles.