By Andrew Chung

(Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Monday to hear Mississippi’s defense of a state law challenged by Republicans that allows a five-day grace period for mail-in ballots received after Election Day to be counted, a case that could lead to stricter voting rules around the country.

The justices took up Mississippi’s appeal of a lower court’s ruling that deemed illegal the state law that permits mail-in ballots sent by certain voters to be counted if they were postmarked on or before Election Day but received up to five business days after a federal election.

The court is expected to hear arguments and issue a ruling by the end of June.

The Republican National Committee, the Mississippi Republican Party and other plaintiffs filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate Mis

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