The Supreme Court Could Make it Harder to Vote by Mail in the Midterms

The Republican National Committee is pushing the Supreme Court to invalidate mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day, a legal challenge that could disproportionately affect Democratic voters who tend to rely more heavily on mail voting. The case hinges on whether states can accept ballots postmarked by Election Day but received in the days after, a practice currently permitted in many jurisdictions. If the Court rules in the RNC's favor, potentially thousands of votes could be discarded in upcoming midterm elections, reshaping electoral outcomes in closely contested races. The challenge touches on a longstanding tension between ballot access and election security, with the RNC arguing for stricter deadlines while voting-rights advocates warn of disenfranchisement. The outcome could significantly alter mail-voting procedures nationwide ahead of the midterms.