Mail Voting and Election Administration

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Monday, March 23, 2026 at 10 a.m. EDT (livestreamed) in a challenge brought by the Republican National Committee and the Libertarian Party of Mississippi to Mississippi’s five‑day mail‑ballot “grace period,” arguing it conflicts with federal Election Day statutes. A ruling against grace periods could upend practices in 14 states (and affect 29 states that give some voters extra time), potentially invalidating hundreds of thousands of late‑arriving ballots—Washington state, for example, saw about 127,000 such ballots in 2024—and officials warn abrupt changes could cause confusion and disenfranchisement ahead of the midterms.