US Supreme Court Rules Mail-in Ballots Received After Election Day Can Be Counted

(CNA Washington, June 30, Comprehensive Foreign News) The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today to uphold a Mississippi state law that allows mail-in ballots received after Election Day to be counted. U.S. President Trump, who has always opposed this law, subsequently stated that this ruling is a significant loss for voters' rights.

According to Agence France-Presse, Mississippi law stipulates that as long as mail-in ballots are postmarked on Election Day and received within 5 business days after the voting day, they can be included in the count. The Republican National Committee (RNC) challenged this, but the Supreme Court did not accept it.

Conservative Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett, along with three liberal justices, voted in favor, ultimately deciding 5-4 to uphold the Mississippi state law.

In her majority opinion, Justice Barrett stated that federal law stipulates the time of casting a ballot, while state law determines the time by which the ballot must be received, and the two do not conflict.

Justice Barrett stated that federal regulations regarding Election Day do not prohibit Mississippi from counting absentee ballots that are postmarked on Election Day and received within 5 days.

Trump has long criticized mail-in ballots, claiming they are prone to fraud and caused his loss to Democrat Biden in 2020. He signed an executive order in March attempting to restrict mail-in voting regulations, but was blocked by lower courts.

Trump described the ruling on his social media platform, Truth Social, as a significant loss for voters' rights. He urged Congress to pass a bill called "SAVE America" to further restrict voting qualifications.

This bill requires photo identification to vote and proof of citizenship when registering to vote. Experts point out that this would disenfranchise millions of people without passports or birth certificates. The bill is currently stalled in Congress.

Approximately 30 states nationwide allow some absentee ballots to be counted if received after Election Day. Democratic voters typically use mail-in ballots at a higher rate than Republicans, and this voting method became more prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer welcomed the Supreme Court's ruling, calling it a safeguard of the American democratic principle that "if you vote by the deadline, it will be counted," and emphasized that democratic participation should not be limited by race, place of residence, or method of voting.

Polls indicate that Republicans may lose their slim majority in both houses of Congress in the November midterm elections. Democrats have signaled that if they regain the House, they will block Trump's legislative agenda and may consider impeachment. (Compiled by Qu Xiangping) 1150630

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