Watson v. RNC: Mail-in Ballots

The case asks whether federal election-day statutes preempt a Mississippi state law that allows mail-in ballots cast and postmarked by Election Day to be counted if received by officials in the days after. Most states — 29, plus Washington, D.C. — currently count at least some timely cast ballots if they arrive within a brief window after Election Day, meaning a ruling for the RNC could force rapid changes to voting procedures across the country ahead of the 2026 midterms. After oral argument in March 2026, justices appeared ready to overturn the Mississippi law.