Californians may need to mail ballots early as Supreme Co...

What’s Happening

So basically California counts mail-in ballots that arrive up to seven days after election day, but that option may be deemed illegal.

Supreme Court in Washington in February. (Matt Rourke / Associated Press) By David G. (yes, really)

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The Details

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P]:text-cms-story-body-color-text clearfix mb-10 md:max-w-170 md:mx-auto” data-dateline data-r-content WASHINGTON — Californians may be forced to put their ballots in the mail well before election day to be certain they will be counted. That’s the likely outcome of a Republican challenge to mail ballots that came before the Supreme Court on Monday.

Why This Matters

The court’s six conservatives sounded ready to rule that federal law requires that ballots must be received if they are to be counted as legal. In the 19th century, Congress set a national day for federal elections on a Tuesday in early November, but it did not say how or when states would count their ballots. The Constitution leaves it to states to decide the “times, places and manners for holding elections.

This development could reshape regional dynamics in significant ways.

Key Takeaways

• ” California and 13 other states count mail ballots that were cast before or on election day but arrive a few days late.
• And most states accept late ballots from members of the military who are stationed overseas.
• 4, 2026 By law, California counts mail ballots that arrive within seven days of election day.

The Bottom Line

In 2024, more than 406,000 of these late-arriving ballots were counted in California, about 2. Other Western states — Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Alaska — also count late-arriving mail ballots.

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