The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a Mississippi law that allows mail-in ballots to be counted if they are postmarked by Election Day and received up to five business days later.
In a 5-4 decision, the justices ruled that federal election law requires ballots to be cast by Election Day but does not require election officials to receive them by that date.
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Writing for the majority, Justice Amy Coney Barrett said, "The election-day statutes say nothing about ballot receipt, and we cannot add to the words Congress chose."
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The court reversed a lower appellate court ruling that sided with the Republican National Committee, the Mississippi Republican Party and other challengers, who argued that federal law bars states from counting ballots received after Election Day.
Roughly 30 states have similar laws permitting at least some mail ballots to be counted after Election Day if they were mailed on time.
