On June 29, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision upholding voters’ rights and permitting Mississippi voters’ ballots mailed by election day to be counted if received within a 5-day window after election day, pursuant to Mississippi state law. The decision reverses the Fifth Circuit’s interpretation of federal Election Day statutes, which would have invalidated decades-old absentee ballot receipt laws. SCOTUS recognized that federal law does not control state laws that allow for the counting of timely-cast ballots, including those arriving after Election Day, and held that the states have the right to establish such laws.
The League of Women Voters joined many other organizations filing amicus briefs in support of Mississippi’s state law. LWV applauds the ruling, as it preserves states’ flexibility to administer elections in ways that reflect local realities and protects longstanding election practices that voters rely on. In particular, the ruling preserves critical protections for voters with disabilities, rural communities, older voters, working families, and countless Americans who depend on absentee voting to participate in our democracy, such as members of the military.”
Also, during the third week of June 2026, federal district courts in two separate lawsuits ruled against Presidential Executive Orders issued in 2025 and 2026 that would impact voting. The courts found the Orders unconstitutional as a violation of the separation of powers and held that the President lacks authority to unilaterally alter state-administered federal elections under the Constitution’s Election Clause.
With regard to the 2025 Executive Order, the district court permanently blocked implementation of its requirement of documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections, restriction on counting mail ballots received after Election Day (even if properly postmarked), and withholding of federal funds from non-compliant states.
With regard to the 2026 Executive Order, the district court permanently blocked the terms that directed federal agencies (including DHS and USPS) to create a nationwide voter eligibility/citizenship list and restrict delivery of mail ballots based on that list. The court’s ruling applies to the 2026 Midterm Elections and specifically blocks the USPS from withholding mail ballots from voters not on an approved list in the plaintiff states.
The League of Women Voters joined many other organizations filing amicus briefs in support of Mississippi’s state law. LWV applauds the ruling, as it preserves states’ flexibility to administer elections in ways that reflect local realities and protects longstanding election practices that voters rely on. In particular, the ruling preserves critical protections for voters with disabilities, rural communities, older voters, working families, and countless Americans who depend on absentee voting to participate in our democracy, such as members of the military.”
Also, during the third week of June 2026, federal district courts in two separate lawsuits ruled against Presidential Executive Orders issued in 2025 and 2026 that would impact voting. The courts found the Orders unconstitutional as a violation of the separation of powers and held that the President lacks authority to unilaterally alter state-administered federal elections under the Constitution’s Election Clause.
With regard to the 2025 Executive Order, the district court permanently blocked implementation of its requirement of documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections, restriction on counting mail ballots received after Election Day (even if properly postmarked), and withholding of federal funds from non-compliant states.
With regard to the 2026 Executive Order, the district court permanently blocked the terms that directed federal agencies (including DHS and USPS) to create a nationwide voter eligibility/citizenship list and restrict delivery of mail ballots based on that list. The court’s ruling applies to the 2026 Midterm Elections and specifically blocks the USPS from withholding mail ballots from voters not on an approved list in the plaintiff states.