US Supreme Court delivers blow to Trump over mail-in ballots

US Supreme Court Upholds Mississippi’s Mail-In Ballot Rules

Theindiapostdaily.com – On June 29, the US Supreme Court affirmed the validity of state regulations that permit mail-in ballots received after Election Day to be counted, dismissing a Republican-backed legal challenge targeting Mississippi’s five-day grace period. The 5-4 ruling marked a significant hurdle for President Trump’s efforts to curtail mail-in voting ahead of the November congressional elections.

Key Ruling Details

The court’s decision confirmed that Mississippi can count absentee ballots if they are:-

Postmarked by Election Day and received within five business days afterward.

The majority opinion, authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett and joined by Chief Justice John Roberts, as well as the court’s three liberal justices, overturned a 2024 ruling from the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals. That earlier decision had claimed federal law required ballots to be both cast and received on Election Day.

Broader Implications

The significance of this ruling extends well beyond Mississippi’s borders. Approximately 30 states and the District of Columbia have implemented similar provisions, allowing ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted after the deadline. This creates a framework for mail-in voting that remains flexible across jurisdictions.

Challenge Origins

The Republican National Committee, the Mississippi Republican Party, and other plaintiffs argued that federal statutes mandate ballots to be both cast and received by the end of Election Day. Their challenge was aligned with the Trump administration’s broader strategy to tighten voting rules nationwide, which included an executive order signed in March 2024 to restrict mail-in voting. However, a federal judge in Boston halted the order on June 25, 2025.

Trump’s Opposition

Trump has consistently raised concerns about the integrity of mail-in voting, claiming it undermines election security. His March executive order aimed to limit mail-in ballot access, but the ruling on June 29 preserved Mississippi’s broader approach. The law in question was enacted in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic with bipartisan backing in the Republican-led state legislature, enabling mail-in voting for specific groups such as:-

Individuals aged 65 or older, voters with disabilities, and residents temporarily away from their home addresses.