On June 29, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that a Mississippi law allowing absentee ballots to be received up to five business days after the election was not preempted by federal statutes and could remain in place.
Mississippi is one of 14 states that allow absentee/mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they arrive within a set period of time after the election. The state passed a law allowing for a five-day grace period in 2020. Most states, including Mississippi, also allow at least some absentee/mail-in ballots from military or overseas voters to be counted if they arrive after Election Day. The ruling means those laws will remain in effect.
