The decision comes ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, which will determine whether Republicans retain control of Congress
The US Supreme Court on Monday narrowly rejected a challenge backed by President Donald Trump seeking to tighten mail-in ballot deadlines ahead of this year’s midterm elections.
In a 5-4 ruling, the court upheld a Mississippi law allowing ballots postmarked by election day to be counted if they arrive within five days.
“The election-day statutes require the electorate’s choice to be made on Election Day. That occurs so long as Election Day is the deadline for individuals to vote – as it is in Mississippi,” Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote for the majority.
Justice Samuel Alito, writing in dissent, argued that counting ballots received after Election Day “effectively postpones the date on which the electorate’s choice is made, and federal law precludes that postponement.”
Responding on Truth Social, Trump called the ruling a “tremendous loss” for voters’ rights and renewed his call for Congress to pass the Save America Act.
The proposed legislation would require voters to present photo identification and proof of citizenship and would sharply restrict mail-in voting.
“There is only one reason to oppose – CHEATING!” Trump wrote.
Trump has long pushed to tighten US election laws, claiming that widespread voter fraud cost him the 2020 presidential election against Joe Biden. Election rules vary widely across the US, with some states allowing voters to cast ballots without presenting photo identification or proof of citizenship.
Democrats and voting rights groups have argued that Trump’s proposals would make it harder for eligible Americans to vote, particularly minorities, low-income voters, and the elderly.
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