Statement from Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights on Supreme Court Decision Upholding Late-Arriving Mail-In Ballot Law
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 29, 2026
Contact:
Zindy Marquez
Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights
zmarquez@clccrul.org
Statement from Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights on Supreme Court Decision Upholding Late-Arriving Mail-In Ballot Law
CHICAGO, IL, June 29, 2026: In a major victory for voters, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights celebrates the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Mississippi’s law allowing a grace period for late-arriving mail-in ballots. By rejecting the Trump administration's push to strike down this legislation, the Court has helped ensure that every legally cast vote is counted.
The 5-4 ruling means that Mississippi’s law will remain in effect, allowing elections officials to count ballots postmarked by Election Day and received up to five business days later. This ruling also protects similar laws in at least 18 other states and territories. In Illinois, voters will continue to have a 14-day grace period, as long as a ballot is postmarked by Election Day.
The decision is a victory for voters and state election authorities and a defeat for the Presidential administration. President Trump has long criticized voting by mail and has tried to pass legislation to restrict Americans’ ability to vote by mail.
“Today’s ruling puts a vital check on federal overreach into state elections,” said Ami Gandhi, Director of the Midwest Voting Rights Program with Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. “When a voter does everything right and casts their ballot on time, they should not be disenfranchised by mail delays entirely out of their control. We will continue fighting to ensure our elections are more inclusive and accessible so that every eligible voter has access to the ballot box.”
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