Supreme Court Backs Counting of Mail Ballots Postmarked on Election Day

The United States Supreme Court has ruled, by five votes to four, that mail ballots arriving after election day may still be counted when they carry a postmark dated on or before polling day. The judgment upholds a Mississippi statute and marks a setback for Donald Trump and his allies, who argued that ballots should reach election officials by election day to prevent fraud.

The court's majority held that federal law does not impose a receipt deadline for postal ballots. Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote the opinion, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and the bench's three liberal justices. Dissenting members warned the decision could undermine election integrity.

The ruling may shape absentee-ballot rules across several key US states ahead of upcoming midterm elections.