Supreme Court rules against tighter mail-in ballot rules

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on Monday to maintain a grace period for mail-in ballots. Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote the majority opinion of the Supreme Court, while the four other conservative Justices dissented. In Watson v. Republican National Committee, the Supreme Court determined that federal law permits mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted when allowed by state laws. The decision comes amid heightened focus on voter regulation from the Trump Administration.

President Donald Trump responded to the decision over social media Monday, calling the SCOTUS ruling a “tremendous loss” for voters’ rights. He also took the opportunity to tout the SAVE America Act, a bill that would enact stricter voter identification requirements and eliminate most mail-in ballots.

What does this mean for voters? Thirteen states plus the District of Columbia permit mailed ballots that are postmarked by Election Day to be counted for some number of days after the election. Following the SCOTUS ruling, these states are expected to maintain the same protocol for the 2026 midterm congressional elections.

What do states have to say about this? Last Wednesday, Ohio’s Republican Governor Mike DeWine vetoed a bill that would require mail-in voters to include a photo ID with their ballots. In a 856-word veto message, Gov. DeWine outlined his concerns over creating “additional and significant burdens” for Ohioans voting by mail. He argued that the bill is not needed because Ohio is running its elections well.

Were there any additional rulings? In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled that Fed governor Lisa Cook could keep her job for now while she fights Trump's efforts to fire her over mortgage fraud allegations that Cook denies. But in a separate case, the high court ruled 6-3 that the president had the authority to fire Federal Trade Commission member Rebecca Slaughter. In the ruling, the court struck down a federal law that bars the president from firing members of the FTC except in cases of “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.” The ruling effectively gives the office of the presidency new authority over members of roughly two-dozen agencies. 

Dig Deeper: Read my report on the controversy and origins of Ohio’s photo ID mail-in voter bill.