Overview
- The justices granted review in Watson v. Republican National Committee to decide if federal election‑day statutes preempt state grace periods for counting mail ballots that arrive after the date of voting.
- The dispute centers on Mississippi’s rule that counts ballots postmarked by Election Day if they reach officials within five business days, a policy challenged by the RNC, the state GOP and the Libertarian Party of Mississippi.
- A unanimous 5th Circuit panel struck down the law, holding that ballots must be both cast by voters and received by officials by Election Day under federal statutes.
- At least 16 states plus Washington, D.C., accept some late‑arriving domestic mail ballots, and roughly 14 more allow later receipt for certain voters such as military and overseas citizens.
- Oral arguments are expected in late winter or spring 2026, with a decision likely by late June that could govern how ballots are counted in the 2026 congressional elections.