Supreme Court sounds skeptical of late-arriving ballots, a Trump target
Source: AP
Updated 12:33 PM EDT, March 23, 2026
WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court s conservative majority on Monday sounded skeptical of state laws that allow the counting of late-arriving mail ballots, a persistent target of President Donald Trump. The court heard arguments in a case from Mississippi that also could affect voters in 13 other states and the District of Columbia, which have grace periods for ballots cast by mail. An additional 15 states that have more forgiving deadlines for ballots from military and overseas voters also could be impacted.
A ruling is expected by late June, early enough to govern the counting of ballots in the 2026 midterm congressional elections. The court challenge is part of Trumps broader attack on most mail balloting, which he has said breeds fraud despite strong evidence to the contrary and years of experience in numerous states.
Several conservative justices gave voice to some of Trumps complaints. Justice Samuel Alito wondered about the appearance of fraud in situations where a big stash of ballots that arrive late radically flipped an election.
Defending the state law, Mississippi Solicitor General Scott Stewart pointed out that the Trump administration and its allies in the case have yet to submit a single case of fraud due to late-arriving mail ballots. The courts liberal justices indicated they would uphold state laws with post-Election Day deadlines. The people who should decide this issue are not the courts, but Congress, the states and Congress, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-trump-elections-mailed-ballots-a516e60209e68642f4d74947fa06017f
Blues Heron
(8,774 posts)bucolic_frolic
(55,013 posts)A postmark indicates the date of a contract. But now USPS may not always postmark on the same day as mailing.
ret5hd
(22,483 posts)on election day tossed.
think im kidding? where are ballots counted late? cities
Gorhamtowne
(12 posts)It seems to me, if it is "constitutional" for a US Postal date mark to work whenever we file our taxes on April 15th, then logically, it would apply to mail in ballots. Should the Supreme Court declare postmarked date for this activity as "Unconstitutional?
pandr32
(14,233 posts)DetroitLegalBeagle
(2,501 posts)The post marks are now not applied locally, but at the distribution centers when they process it, so there is now a delay in the process. This is a issue in the legal world as now post marks are no longer being relied on, only registered or certified mail now as those are stamped at time of acceptance.
Gorhamtowne
(12 posts)Do we need to pay money to legally submit our vote with a legally verifiable certified or registered piece of mail with # applied in order to legitimately be applied to the vote count?
Bengus81
(10,141 posts)But if they're Military ballots that would be OK, no fraud? Why is that?
quakerboy
(14,856 posts)Biden left a bunch of trump stooges running the USPS, and mail delivery has suffered accordingly. The idea of holding back a bunch of ballots in selected areas so that they cant be counted is a wet dream for the Epstein party.
Ford_Prefect
(8,598 posts)By Trump, the GOP and their agents since 2010. It is one more exaggeration of a false internet meme.
The underlying laws were passed to enable more registered voters to participate in electing our government and determining policy which affects them.
The GOP takes the view that more people voting is bad for governance (by the GOP). Thus any option taken out of context can be argued as an unreasonable exception. I am 73 years old. Throughout my entire life the standard of acceptance for ANY mailed document has ALWAYS been the postmark date. Throughout the decades judges and juries alike have reinforced that aspect.
NOW when the GOP want to trim the voting pool to suit their perfidy they have decided that decades of prior law and practice have no basis.
I wonder how the generations who fought the great wars would view such interference in a fundamental constitutional right?
2na fisherman
(318 posts)If the SC decides that these ballots must be delivered to the Registrar of Voters by election day, what happens if Trump directs his Postmaster General to find ways to misdirect them or slow down delivery of them? There could be new orders to letter carriers to put them in "Special Ballot Tubs" for greater "election security." So many of them must not be counted by being past the deadline. Can this be targeted in certain precincts to Republican advantage? Or might it backfire as Republican ballots may not count as well?
surfered
(13,296 posts)Scalded Nun
(1,683 posts)If this were to become law, then tax filings would have to be received by 15 April or be subject to fines/penalties/interest. You can't just say 'OK, you must be here by date/day or you are docked pay', but 'you over there, it's OK if you are a day late for any reason whatsoever'.
So much bullshit. Rather than just doing the right thing for people, they just want to keep fucking over the country and doing anything to stay in charge.
regnaD kciN
(27,627 posts)it seems it would automatically approve Trump unilaterally imposing the SAVE Act by Executive Order.