The U.S. Supreme Court today ruled that states may accept mail ballots postmarked by Election Day, keeping grace periods that voters in 30 states and Washington, D.C. have relied on for years.
Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, had the following reaction:
“Today the Supreme Court reaffirmed: Congress left it to states to decide whether to count mail ballots postmarked by Election Day. This was an easy case, and the Court declined to do the wrong thing.
“This maintains the status quo for servicemembers abroad, their families, overseas voters, rural communities, Native Americans, and voters with disabilities who depend on mail ballot grace periods.
“The laws in many states stand: voters can vote by mail, and if they do so by Election Day, states will count their ballots. Voters should make a plan to vote and their vote will count.”
