January 1, Supreme Court Weighs Who Can Challenge Ballots

Wyatt’s Take

• Supreme Court set to decide if lawmakers can sue over ballot deadlines.
• The case centers on whether letting ballots arrive well after Election Day is legal.
• This could set the rules for future election challenges nationwide.

The Supreme Court is hearing a big case over an Illinois law that lets mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day be counted for 14 more days. The main question is whether Rep. Mike Bost and others have the right to sue over how these ballots are handled.

This issue doesn’t just affect Illinois—15 other states and Washington, D.C., do something similar. In Washington state, ballots can come in up to 21 days after the election ends.

Right now, some courts say lawmakers don’t have ‘standing,’ or a good reason, to even challenge these rules. That’s why this case, brought by Judicial Watch for Bost and other Illinois voters, matters so much.

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said,

“If the Supreme Court doesn’t rule that candidates have standing, it could be a green light to the left to engage in the manipulation of election practices, contrary to the spirit and letter of the law.”

He argues this is the most significant election law case in two decades because it could decide who can bring these challenges in the first place. Judicial Watch lawyer Russ Nobile says many 2020 election lawsuits failed due to the courts saying plaintiffs couldn’t sue.

The attorneys claim that refusing to let candidates fight these rules hurts fair elections, since it could allow unfair laws to change who wins. They want the Court to overturn the Seventh Circuit’s decision and give candidates a chance to argue their case.

Groups like the ACLU and League of Women Voters backed Bost in the Supreme Court, showing that both sides see this as high stakes for future elections.

There’s another case out of Mississippi soon. That one would settle when states truly have to count ballots, but the fight in Illinois is about who even gets to bring these lawsuits.

President Trump signed an executive order in March to make ballots due by Election Day and to require proof of citizenship, but that order is also under legal fire.

Whoever the Supreme Court sides with, their decision will impact how we run and trust our elections coast to coast.

Read the full story

Wyatt Matters

Election rules need to be clear and fair for all Americans. When courts leave loopholes, trust in the system fades—working people deserve honest results and real accountability at the ballot box.