Supreme Court conservatives appear skeptical of mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day

Supreme Court to hear arguments in a mail-in voting case, weighing whether states can count ballots that arrive after Election Day.

WASHINGTON — Conservative Supreme Court justices questioned Monday whether states should be allowed to count ballots that are mailed on time but arrive after Election Day.

The nine justices heard more than two hours of arguments as President Donald Trump has ramped up his opposition to mail-in voting and urged Congress to ban it in most cases.

The court is considering a Mississippi law similar to measures in 13 other states that allow mail-in ballots to be counted as long as they are postmarked by Election Day. The case could have implications for the midterm elections in November, when voters will decide which party controls the House and the Senate.

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Based on the oral arguments, the court is closely divided over whether a federal law that sets election dates prevents ballots from being received after that day. Some justices also questioned whether a ruling limiting late-arriving ballots would also raise questions about the legality of early voting.