The Supreme Court is deciding whether or not to allow states to accept ballots that arrive after Election Day, even if they were postmarked on time. Members of the Trump administration are seeking to overturn mail-in ballots that arrive late, regardless of when they were postmarked, in a push to limit voter fraud and absentee voting.
The United States Postal Service changed the way it is marking its mail. Before, mail was stamped on the day it was received, as of December 2025, mail is now transported to larger sorting facilities before it is marked. This means that some mail will not arrive at the center on the day it is mailed, causing some people to worry if late ballots are actually late or were inaccurately postmarked.
According to the USPS, “the date on the postmarks applied at our processing facilities will not necessarily match the date on which the customer’s mailpiece was collected by a letter carrier or dropped off at a retail location.”
The state of Mississippi has a current law that allows ballots to arrive after election day if they are postmarked prior to election day. The Supreme Court is thinking about challenging this law, which would also affect laws in 13 other states, including Utah.
Some are concerned that this change would cause deployed members of the military to be unable to vote while overseas.
Author: Lainey Porter
Photo: Rick Bowmer, AP News
Editor: Hannah Clove
news@suunews.net
