U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Mail‑In Ballot Grace Periods for Military Voters

On June 29 2026 the Supreme Court issued its decision in Watson v. RNC, preserving state‑wide grace periods that allow mail‑in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they arrive afterward. The ruling, joined by a cross‑ideological majority that included Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Chief Justice John Roberts, rejected the challenge by the Republican National Committee and others, maintaining the status quo favored by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.

The Court’s opinion defined “election day” as the day a voter makes a choice, not the day a ballot is received. The decision impacts Mississippi and thirteen other states plus Washington, whose grace periods range from one to twenty days, and is especially significant for active‑duty service members, veterans, people with disabilities and voters in remote or overseas locations.