The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case on Mississippi ’s policy for counting postmarked mail-in ballots received after Election Day, and its ruling could influence how dozens of states handle ballot deadlines ahead of the 2026 elections.

Why It Matters

On Monday, the High Court granted the petition to hear Watson v. Republican National Committee. The core question of the case is whether the “federal election-day statutes preempt a state law that allows ballots that are cast by federal election day to be received by election officials after that day,” according to the petition.

Dozens of states, including Mississippi, allow mail-in ballots that were postmarked on or before Election Day to be counted if they were received within a certain amount of time. Mississippi accept

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