The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a Mississippi law that allows election officials to count mail-in ballots that are postmarked by Election Day but received up to five days after it.
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The ruling is a loss for the Republican Party, which brought the case, ahead of this year’s midterm elections.
Eighteen states and territories, including Mississippi, have such mail ballot grace periods. A dozen additional states have grace periods for ballots returning from overseas, like from military members.
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These grace periods have historically provided voters time to get their absentee ballots to officials in case there are any issues with the Postal Service – as well as any other unforeseen issues, such as weather events.
But Republicans have been fighting these grace periods in recent years – an effort led by President Trump.
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