Court Rules Ballots That Arrive Late Shouldn’t Be Counted Despite Postmarks
26th October 2024
A federal appeals court Friday ruled invalid a Mississippi law that allows election officials to count mail ballots that arrive after Election Day as long as they are postmarked by then.
The ruling came less than two weeks before the Nov. 5 presidential election and could have implications for other states with similar laws. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit did not rule on how the state should handle ballots for this election, saying that matter should be addressed later by a trial court judge.
The reason a Voice of the Crust is hand-wringing over this is that ‘late-arriving ballots’ are a standard tool in the Democrat election-stealing toolbox.
“Federal law requires voters to take timely steps to vote by Election Day,” Judge Andrew S. Oldham wrote for the unanimous panel. “And federal law does not permit the State of Mississippi to extend the period for voting by one day, five days, or 100 days.”
Indeed.