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On Monday, June 29th, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled against an effort to restrict the use of mail-in ballots, which is voting by mail, in elections. In 2024, nearly 1 out of 3 Americans voted by mail. In the case known as Watson v. Republican National Committee, the court ruled to uphold a Mississippi law that allowed votes sent by mail to be counted up to 5 days after election day.
Critics of the decision oppose the use of mail-in ballots for elections, particularly following the 2020 election during the COVID-19 pandemic, after which President Trump accused voter fraud through mail-in ballots of being responsible for his loss. Trump and his allies argue that restricting the use of mail-in ballots is necessary to preserve the fairness and security of elections, and that additional vote counting after election day only erodes public trust in the government.
Supporters of the decision see it as a big win for freedom and voting accessibility. Many voters are unable to vote in person, and supporters argue that mail-in ballots allow more people to participate in the democratic process.
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Out of the 9 justices, the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the Mississippi law against the Republican National Committee in a 5-4 decision, with Justice Amy Coney Barrett as the author of the majority opinion. Election day is the established final day to select and vote for public officials. Barret stated that there was nothing in the statutes (written laws) about election day that stated ballots must be received by election day. While election day is a deadline for voters to make decisions, the majority ruled that mail-in voting doesn’t violate that as long as ballots were sent before election day.
Trump and many Republicans have also been pushing for Congress to pass the SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) America Act, an act that would tighten voting restrictions nationwide, including requiring proof of citizenship when registering to vote and a ban on mail-in voting(with some exceptions). After the decision by the Supreme Court was released, SAVE America has become even more important to the GOP and garnered more pressure in their efforts to regulate voting.
