U.S. Supreme Court and Elections

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Monday in Watson v. RNC, a case testing whether Mississippi and at least 13 other states may continue counting mail ballots that are postmarked by, but arrive after, Election Day. The Republican National Committee and state GOP argue that 19th‑century federal statutes establishing a single Election Day for congressional and presidential races require ballots to be both cast and received by that Tuesday, and that Mississippi’s five‑day grace period conflicts with federal law. A district court upheld the state’s deadline, but the 5th Circuit reversed, ruling that the federal Election Day statute preempts Mississippi’s law; state officials are now asking the justices to reinstate their grace‑period system. Four states, including Ohio and Utah, recently eliminated similar grace periods, while 14 states and Washington, D.C., still allow some late-arriving domestic ballots and 29 states plus D.C. accept certain military and overseas ballots received after Election Day. The decision could reshape how close federal races are counted, especially in states that rely heavily on mail voting as partisan battles over mail ballots and alleged fraud remain a central feature of national politics.