US Supreme Court weighs limits on mail‑in ballot grace periods

The United States Postal Service has proposed a rule obligating states to provide the USPS with detailed data on mail‑in and absentee voters, including names, addresses and ballot barcode information. The rule follows a presidential executive order that would require election officials to share a list of voters who have requested mail‑in ballots with the Postal Service at least 30 days before ballots are mailed, and to bar the USPS from sending ballots to anyone not on that list.

At the same time, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to rule on the case Watson v. Republican National Committee, which challenges Mississippi’s law that allows a grace period for counting absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day. The lawsuit could eliminate similar grace periods that currently let overseas and active‑duty military voters have their ballots counted after Election Day. Thirty states currently permit such a grace period, while fifteen states, including California, allow overseas ballots to be counted after Election Day. A decision before the November primaries could force states to revise their absentee‑ballot procedures.

Legal observers note that the Court may uphold state grace‑period laws, strike them down nationwide, or adopt a middle ground applying only to military and overseas ballots. The outcome will shape how millions of voters, especially seniors, overseas citizens and service members, cast mail‑in votes in upcoming elections.