A conservative U.S. appeals court has sided with Republicans in ruling against a Mississippi law that allows election officials to count mail ballots that are postmarked by Election Day but arrive after it.
The ruling by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals — which covers Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas — is not in effect immediately, and the judges sent the issue back to a lower court for further consideration. The decision is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In its ruling Friday, a panel of all Trump-appointed 5th Circuit judges reversed a lower court ruling and wrote that the acceptance of ballots ends on the “election day” designated by Congress.
“Text, precedent, and historical practice confirm this ‘day for the election’ is the day by which ballots must be both cast by voters and received by state officials,” the court wrote. “Because Mississippi’s statute allows ballot receipt up to five days after the federal election day, it is preempted by federal law.”
www.npr.org/2024/10/25/nx-s1-5144182/mississippi-mail-ballot-return-lawsuit
Mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day in Mississippi shouldn’t be counted, appeals court says
The ruling by Trump-appointed judges on the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals won’t impact the November election but tees up a possible Supreme Court challenge.
slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/10/trump-judges-election-day-voting-disaster.html
