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BumRushDaShow

(169,252 posts)
Mon Mar 23, 2026, 01:04 PM 2 hrs ago

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 Trump’s 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 Trump’s 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 court’s 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

14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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bucolic_frolic

(55,013 posts)
3. They'll have to square it with contract law
Mon Mar 23, 2026, 01:19 PM
2 hrs ago

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)
2. next step: ballots not final counted by midnight...
Mon Mar 23, 2026, 01:18 PM
2 hrs ago

on election day tossed.

think i’m kidding? where are ballots counted late? cities

Gorhamtowne

(12 posts)
4. Post Mark Works for the Taxes Every April
Mon Mar 23, 2026, 01:21 PM
2 hrs ago

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?

DetroitLegalBeagle

(2,501 posts)
8. USPS now says post marks may not be applied at the time of mailing
Mon Mar 23, 2026, 01:31 PM
2 hrs ago

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)
10. So :-)
Mon Mar 23, 2026, 01:42 PM
2 hrs ago

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)
5. Worried about a "big stash of ballots arriving late" and maybe flipping an election Alito"?
Mon Mar 23, 2026, 01:25 PM
2 hrs ago

But if they're Military ballots that would be OK, no fraud? Why is that?

quakerboy

(14,856 posts)
12. Not worried. Planning for
Mon Mar 23, 2026, 01:44 PM
2 hrs ago

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)
7. To approach this as if it were a chronic problem, or a radical one ignores the changes in postal services wrought
Mon Mar 23, 2026, 01:29 PM
2 hrs ago

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)
9. Slow-Walk The Mail-in Ballots
Mon Mar 23, 2026, 01:33 PM
2 hrs ago

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?

Scalded Nun

(1,683 posts)
13. As stated in a comment above, this would seem to be unconstitutional as it is arbitrary
Mon Mar 23, 2026, 03:18 PM
35 min ago

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)
14. If they allow the federal government to ban this...
Mon Mar 23, 2026, 03:19 PM
34 min ago

…it seems it would automatically approve Trump unilaterally imposing the SAVE Act by Executive Order.

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