U.S. Supreme Court rules on mail-in voting law. Here’s what that means for WA
Editor's Note: This article has been updated with comments from Thurston County Auditor Mary Hall, Pierce County Auditor Linda Farmer, and additional information about the SAVE Act and postal service changes. The article has also been updated to clarify that ballots in Washington state can be received up to 21 days after Election Day, as long as the ballot is postmarked by election day.
On Monday, June 29, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of accepting mailed-in ballots received after Election Day, upholding Washington’s current voting law.
The 5-4 ruling maintains the state’s acceptance deadline, allowing county elections offices to accept ballots that are postmarked by Election Day. Washington law currently allows for ballots to be received up to 21 days after Election Day, as long as they are postmarked by Election Day. The decision comes several months ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
“The ruling upholds our longstanding ballot return rules, which support accessible and fair elections,” Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said in a Monday press release. “Washington’s ballot return deadline means that the thousands of voters whose ballots are postmarked on time but received after Election Day still have their voices heard.”
The majority decision, spearheaded by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, asserted that federal law requires the voter’s choice to be made by Election Day but does not set a deadline for ballot receipt. The dissenting opinion, led by Justice Samuel Alito, argued that Election Day means completing the ballot collection process on that day.
Washington is one of the 18 states and U.S. territories that allow for a grace period in voting elections. The ruling means those states do not have to change voting laws ahead of the midterms, with the upcoming primary election set on Aug. 4.
The case originated in Mississippi where the Republican National Committee and the Mississippi Republican Party went to federal court to challenge the state’s post-election deadline that was originally set during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Just because a ballot is received after Election Day doesn’t mean it wasn’t voted prior to Election Day,” Thurston County Auditor Mary Hall said in a phone call with The News Tribune.
President Donald Trump has been a vocal critic against mail-in voting throughout his second term, claiming the practice is susceptible to voter fraud.
Hall, who has worked in polling places and has overseen mail-in voting, disputes those claims. She argued that mail-in voting is more secure as the office verifies the voter’s signatures on every single return ballot envelope with the signatures they have on file.
According to a 2025 report from Brookings Institute, a nonpartisan research center, cases of mail voting fraud are rare, accounting for four cases out of every 10 million mail votes.
“It’s a myth that just keeps repeating itself through certain channels across the country,” Hall said.
Pierce County auditor Linda Farmer said that the county’s system is designed to detect fraud and that if a case is found, the office works closely with law enforcement and the county’s prosecuting attorney’s office to address it.
“We believe the window to make changes for the 2026 election has effectively closed,” Farmer wrote in an email to The News Tribune. “However, if Congress does make any updates, we will implement them and clearly communicate any new changes to voters.”
The Tri-City Herald asked Franklin County Auditor Matt Beaton about his thoughts on the ruling. He said that the case is not just about voting procedures but trust in elections and public institutions.
“Had it passed, for those people wanting the sense that something is being done to tighten up, it wouldn’t have hurt,” Beaton said. “But it didn’t happen, and they are the Supreme Court, and we move on.”
Hall said that she remains weary about Trump’s executive order requiring the U.S. Postal Service to require states to submit a list of voters receiving mail-in ballots to USPS. A federal judge blocked the order last Thursday, but according to a report from Reuters, it is likely that the administration will appeal.
Following the court ruling, both Trump and the Washington State Republican Party have called for Congress to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which would implement stricter voter identification requirements. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the SAVE Act in February 2026, and it is currently stalled in the Senate.
Both Hobbs and the county auditors emphasized that voters should still continue submitting their ballots a week before Election Day to ensure they are received on time. In recent procedural changes, USPS now dates mail with the date it is processed rather than when it is dropped off, possibly affecting time-sensitive mail such as election ballots.
Hall recommends voters cast their ballots as soon as they know who they are voting for and to drop them off at any official drop-off location, rather than rely on traditional mail. All ballots dropped off at a designated drop box before 8 p.m. on Election Day will be counted.
For more information about upcoming elections and where to find the nearest drop off box, visit https://www.sos.wa.gov/elections.
Tri-City Herald reporter Ellie Conover contributed to this report.
This story was originally published June 29, 2026 at 12:32 PM with the headline "U.S. Supreme Court rules on mail-in voting law. Here’s what that means for WA."
