Supreme Court hears arguments in mail-in ballot case

Thirteen other states have similar laws that allow domestic mail-in ballots to be received after Election Day, as long as the ballot is postmarked by the date of an election. In Illinois, mail-in ballots can be received up to 14 days after an election. 

Lawyers for the Republican National Committee argued that federal law sets the Tuesday after the first Monday in November as Election Day. 

Nineteen states and the District of Columbia filed a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court that argued states should have the ability to set rules over the receipt of ballots. The states said mail-in ballot deadlines give voters an opportunity to cast their ballots. 

"States have the constitutional authority to make individualized judgments on how best to receive and count votes in federal elections," representatives for the states wrote. 

The states argued overseas military ballots could be affected by a ruling in the case. However, election advocates said Congress’ passage of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizen Voting Act established requirements for states to send absentee ballots 45 days before a federal election.

The case will be argued throughout the morning and a decision is expected by July.