U.S. News
Supreme Court Mail-In Ballot Case Raises Stakes
Clear Facts
- The Democratic National Committee filed a Supreme Court amicus brief to challenge Republican efforts in a major election law case.
- The case centers on counting mail-in ballots received within five days of an election, with the Republican National Committee seeking stricter deadlines.
- The Supreme Court’s decision could affect millions of voters and future elections, including midterms.
The Democratic National Committee is pushing back against the Republican National Committee in a closely watched election law case now before the Supreme Court.
At issue is whether mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day but received within five days are counted, a subject of dispute between the parties.
The RNC and Mississippi GOP argue this practice conflicts with federal voting law, while the DNC cites a longstanding tradition of mail-in ballots since the Civil War.
“Throughout this Nation’s history, the term ‘election’ has been universally understood to refer to the voters’ act of choosing an officeholder—not to the later administrative acts of receiving or counting ballots,” the DNC said in its amicus brief.
If the Supreme Court sides with the RNC, some voters could lose their rights due to mail delays, potentially removing protections for military and overseas voters.
“If the Supreme Court rules for the RNC, voters around the country will be disenfranchised by mail delays, and key protections for military and overseas voters could be eliminated,” lawyers for the DNC stated in a press release.
DNC Chairman Ken Martin accused Republicans of undermining the voting process.
“Republicans’ continued assault on mail-in voting is an attack on our democracy and is wholly un-American,” Martin told Fox News Digital.
Martin further suggested that efforts to limit mail-in voting serve partisan interests.
“[Donald Trump] and the RNC want to limit the rights of voters because they know that when more eligible voters make their voices heard, Republicans lose,” he added.
Mississippi’s attorney general appealed to the Supreme Court after a lower court ruled state mail-in ballot laws violated federal regulations, requiring ballots to be received by Election Day.
The RNC has urged the Supreme Court to uphold the previous ruling, warning that changes could spark “chaos and suspicions of impropriety,” particularly if absentee ballots are counted after Election Day.
Conservatives argue that strict mail-in deadlines protect the integrity of elections and maintain public confidence.
The Supreme Court’s decision will impact procedures in over 30 states and could shape how mail-in ballots are handled in coming elections.
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