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In It to Win It

(12,908 posts)
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 10:17 AM 2 hrs ago

SCOTUS holds states can count late-arriving mail-in ballots that are postmarked on or before Election Day

First (but *not* last) ruling from #SCOTUS today is in Watson v. RNC. For a 5-4 majority (with Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch, Kavanaugh dissenting), Justice Barrett holds that federal law does *not* bar states from counting late-arriving mail-in ballots that are postmarked on or before Election Day.

Steve Vladeck (@stevevladeck.bsky.social) 2026-06-29T14:02:49.360Z
38 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
SCOTUS holds states can count late-arriving mail-in ballots that are postmarked on or before Election Day (Original Post) In It to Win It 2 hrs ago OP
Good Aviation Pro 1 hr ago #1
WOW... Hate to say it ordinarily, but thank you Amy Coney Barrett hlthe2b 1 hr ago #2
Amy Barrett has had a couple of ruling which favored The People IMHO--but admit I already forget which ones. riversedge 1 hr ago #4
Maybe Trump will alienate some more women with a typical nasty comment. Would be a win for us. RoeVWade 1 hr ago #7
Yes, she has come across as a bit more PatSeg 1 hr ago #10
Ketchup will be flying... SheltieLover 1 hr ago #3
It appears that Amy Coney Barret has become the deciding vote on this Supreme Court. kentuck 1 hr ago #5
Does this ruling shoot down the proposed SAVE Act... kentuck 1 hr ago #6
No Sympthsical 1 hr ago #8
But this is the law until Congress votes to change it? kentuck 1 hr ago #12
Yes, this is law until Congress passes new law that changes it. In It to Win It 1 hr ago #16
Congress can still try to change those laws. Ms. Toad 1 hr ago #13
Yeah, the SAVE Act would absolutely end up in front of the Court Sympthsical 1 hr ago #19
Would that require homegirl 57 min ago #20
Currently the SAVE act is being blocked by the Senate, Ms. Toad 38 min ago #26
But what about the post office refusing to mail ballots in states that don't supply dump with the voter lists CurtEastPoint 1 hr ago #9
I believe this is being challenged PatSeg 1 hr ago #11
Blocked by Federal Court judge last week. paleotn 40 min ago #25
AMAZING! Thanks! CurtEastPoint 20 min ago #35
WTF. This should be a fucking no brainer since the vote was cast during an election. RedWhiteBlueIsRacist 1 hr ago #14
Some areas keep the post office open until midnight MichMan 35 min ago #30
Wow, a rare SCOTUS decision not in favor of the Murdoch Ministry Of Propaganda! What's next? Initech 1 hr ago #15
A good ruling MustLoveBeagles 12 min ago #37
Well, we got to take whatever wins we can get! Initech 28 sec ago #38
I'm going to guess they pull nonsense on birthright citizenship EnergizedLib 1 hr ago #17
State CAN count them or MUST count them? Blumancru 1 hr ago #18
It depends on state laws MichMan 47 min ago #22
Just 'forget' to postmark ones in blue districts... kirby 56 min ago #21
Or someone will come up with their own copy of a postmark. MichMan 46 min ago #23
But will the post office post mark them? yellowcanine 43 min ago #24
Good malaise 37 min ago #27
Bottom line MoseShrute 37 min ago #28
This jives with contract law - postmark dates a contract bucolic_frolic 37 min ago #29
This would have been a no brainer to probably every other Supreme Court. crud 34 min ago #31
Why would anyone wait until election day to use a mail in ballot? MichMan 33 min ago #32
The undersranding used to be because it would be counted and also because things change dramatically (esp in primaries) SSJVegeta 22 min ago #34
Barrett has been the most democratic member of the anti-democracy court SSJVegeta 24 min ago #33
Barrett just told the GOP how to change federal law Raven123 16 min ago #36

hlthe2b

(115,210 posts)
2. WOW... Hate to say it ordinarily, but thank you Amy Coney Barrett
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 10:20 AM
1 hr ago

This is good news in a sea of bad lately.

riversedge

(82,272 posts)
4. Amy Barrett has had a couple of ruling which favored The People IMHO--but admit I already forget which ones.
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 10:31 AM
1 hr ago

RoeVWade

(966 posts)
7. Maybe Trump will alienate some more women with a typical nasty comment. Would be a win for us.
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 10:39 AM
1 hr ago

Weird but seems true.

PatSeg

(54,080 posts)
10. Yes, she has come across as a bit more
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 10:48 AM
1 hr ago

moderate and reasonable. In the meantime, we can pretty much guarantee that Alito and Thomas will be as extreme as possible.

kentuck

(116,089 posts)
5. It appears that Amy Coney Barret has become the deciding vote on this Supreme Court.
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 10:37 AM
1 hr ago

And we will take our victories wherever we can get them.

This was a big vote and ketchup is running down the walls near the Oval Office.

Sympthsical

(11,307 posts)
8. No
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 10:43 AM
1 hr ago

The Court's interpretation here was purely based on current statute law about elections.

Congress can still change those laws.

kentuck

(116,089 posts)
12. But this is the law until Congress votes to change it?
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 10:51 AM
1 hr ago

Right?

Then it could be challenged in Court?

Ms. Toad

(38,912 posts)
13. Congress can still try to change those laws.
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 10:56 AM
1 hr ago

Whether they are legally permitted to remains an open question.

homegirl

(2,038 posts)
20. Would that require
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 11:21 AM
57 min ago

fifty one votes or sixty six + votes in the Senate, and would it also not have to be passed by the House?

Ms. Toad

(38,912 posts)
26. Currently the SAVE act is being blocked by the Senate,
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 11:41 AM
38 min ago

where they don't have enough votes for cloture (60 votes), to end a the filibuster and likely don't have enough (50+1) even if they overcome the filibuster.

The House has already passed the SAVE act. So if it passes the Senate, we're done.

CurtEastPoint

(20,147 posts)
9. But what about the post office refusing to mail ballots in states that don't supply dump with the voter lists
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 10:48 AM
1 hr ago

PatSeg

(54,080 posts)
11. I believe this is being challenged
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 10:50 AM
1 hr ago

Not sure about the details though. I'm on overload right now.

RedWhiteBlueIsRacist

(2,432 posts)
14. WTF. This should be a fucking no brainer since the vote was cast during an election.
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 10:57 AM
1 hr ago

Let me make this in a sports analogy, since that is all most people understand these days. If I toss a basketball during a game and it makes the basket before the game ends, the score counts! Duh.

MichMan

(17,650 posts)
30. Some areas keep the post office open until midnight
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 11:44 AM
35 min ago

Meaning people were allowed to mail ballots after in person voting sites were closed

Initech

(109,676 posts)
15. Wow, a rare SCOTUS decision not in favor of the Murdoch Ministry Of Propaganda! What's next?
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 10:59 AM
1 hr ago

Initech

(109,676 posts)
38. Well, we got to take whatever wins we can get!
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 12:18 PM
28 sec ago

This war is far from over. Fuck Trump, fuck SCOTUS, and fuck Fox News!

EnergizedLib

(3,233 posts)
17. I'm going to guess they pull nonsense on birthright citizenship
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 11:09 AM
1 hr ago

You know how it goes with this corrupt court. For every decision that goes our way, there are nine which don’t.

Blumancru

(390 posts)
18. State CAN count them or MUST count them?
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 11:15 AM
1 hr ago

There is a big difference between the two, and I bet there will be a big difference between the way red and blue states handle late arriving ballots.

MichMan

(17,650 posts)
22. It depends on state laws
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 11:31 AM
47 min ago

Those that allow it based on postmarks can continue to do so. Those that don't aren't forced to.

MoseShrute

(175 posts)
28. Bottom line
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 11:42 AM
37 min ago

If at all possible, get that ballot completed and put in the mail ASAP. There will always be some weird situations where that isn’t possible, but those should be exceptions.

bucolic_frolic

(56,356 posts)
29. This jives with contract law - postmark dates a contract
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 11:42 AM
37 min ago

Now the GOP can focus on getting the USPS to slow down delivery.

crud

(1,330 posts)
31. This would have been a no brainer to probably every other Supreme Court.
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 11:44 AM
34 min ago

Up until the Bush V Gore ruling, they always made the voter and the right to vote paramount.

MichMan

(17,650 posts)
32. Why would anyone wait until election day to use a mail in ballot?
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 11:45 AM
33 min ago

They are sent out weeks ahead of time.

SSJVegeta

(3,436 posts)
34. The undersranding used to be because it would be counted and also because things change dramatically (esp in primaries)
Mon Jun 29, 2026, 11:56 AM
22 min ago

Before election day. But in general elections quite frankly, people need to turn that thing in as soon as they get it. And also theres a good chance the government will do everything they can to not count our votes so sooner is always better no matter what at this point.

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