Story perspectives

Supreme Court Keeps Mail-Ballot Grace Periods, 5-4 Ruling

7/1/2026

Summary

Story summary

Supreme Court 5-4 decision kept post-Election Day mail-ballot grace periods alive in more than two dozen states.
The ruling thwarted President Donald Trump’s effort to end the practice.
The Court upheld Mississippi’s law allowing ballots postmarked Election Day to be counted if they arrive within five business days.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett said states may set receipt deadlines.
Justice Samuel Alito dissented, arguing federal law preempts such grace periods.

History

Historical Context

On December 12, 2000 the U.S. Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision authored by Justice Antonin Scalia, halted Florida’s manual recount, citing unequal standards and leaving only two hours before the safe-harbor deadline. The ruling affirmed George W. Bush’s victory by a 537-vote margin and declared the case limited to those facts, a precedent cited in today’s ballot-grace-period dispute.

1 of 2

Story summary

Supreme Court 5-4 decision kept post-Election Day mail-ballot grace periods alive in more than two dozen states.
The ruling thwarted President Donald Trump’s effort to end the practice.
The Court upheld Mississippi’s law allowing ballots postmarked Election Day to be counted if they arrive within five business days.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett said states may set receipt deadlines.
Justice Samuel Alito dissented, arguing federal law preempts such grace periods.

1 / 2