Democrats, election officials praise Supreme Court mail ballot ruling: ‘A rejection of Trump’s attacks’

Democrats, state election chiefs and voting rights advocates cheered the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Monday that lets states continue allowing grace periods for ballots mailed by Election Day.  

The 5-4 ruling was hailed as a major victory for voting rights, with the nation’s highest court ensuring that millions of voters won’t be disenfranchised just because their mail ballots arrive after Election Day. The ruling was a significant blow against President Donald Trump and the GOP’s ongoing efforts to interfere with the upcoming midterm election and kneecap mail voting.

“This ruling is another significant win for voters and democracy,” Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) said in a statement. “It’s a win for military service members and citizens living overseas who can cast their ballot with confidence, knowing that their voice will be heard.”

Monday’s ruling came in Watson v. Republican National Committee (RNC) — a GOP challenge to Mississippi’s 2020 law that guarantees all mail ballots postmarked by Election Day are counted, so long as they arrive up to five days later. Currently, 14 states have laws allowing mail ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they arrive after.

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin slammed the RNC for trying to strip voting rights for millions of voters who depend on mail ballots. 

“The RNC’s lawsuit attempted to rip away democratically enacted safeguards for millions, including U.S. service members,” Martin said. “Trump and Republicans are attacking our elections and trying to rig the system in their favor because they know the American people are ready to reject their chaos and corruption this November. The DNC will remain vigilant and use every tool at our disposal to protect every eligible voter’s access to the ballot box.”

NAACP President Derrick Johnson praised the ruling as a win for democracy and “good news” that rarely comes out of the Supreme Court these days. 

“Your vote still matters, otherwise, those in power like Donald Trump wouldn’t be trying so hard to silence you at every turn,” Johnson said. “These rare victories should energize everyone to show up at the polls this November and vote, because if we do, we can and we will stop this tyrannical administration.”

Robert Weiner, the voting rights project director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, added that “democracy is stronger when more people, not less, can participate.”

“Voting by mail has been an important option for Black voters because of its convenience, because it avoids the need to find transportation or the time to go in person, and because it spares Black voters from potential intimidation at polling places,” Weiner said. 

Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs (D) said the ruling upholds his state’s “longstanding ballot return rules, which support accessible and fair elections.”

Hobbs added: “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.”

Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar (D) emphasized in a statement that the ruling makes it clear that “states decide how their elections are run” and “should also be a warning to the President that the letter of the law still holds weight with the Supreme Court.”

Other voting rights advocates and legal experts joined Aguilar in highlighting that Monday’s Supreme Court ruling is a crucial victory reaffirming that states, not the president, hold the power to set election rules. 

“This is a victory for all the states and for all those who respect the will of the Founders, who ensured the security of our elections by giving the power to run those elections to the states — not to one person sitting in Washington, DC.,” David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research and a former DOJ Voting Rights section attorney, said in a statement.

But Aguilar, who chairs the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State, also warned that voting rights are still under grave threat by Trump, as his administration explores every avenue to interfere in the upcoming midterms to thwart the vote.

“Democratic Secretaries of State will continue to be on the front lines of democracy fighting to protect the rights of all Americans to legally cast their ballots and have confidence that their votes will be counted,” Aguilar said.

Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) praised the ruling as a “rejection of Trump’s attacks on mail and absentee voters” but similarly warned of the Trump administration’s attack on elections.

“While we continue to see unprecedented efforts to interfere with elections from the Trump Administration, it is a relief to see federal courts make clear that these attacks on mail and absentee voting are clearly illegal and unconstitutional,” Padilla said in a statement.

Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-N.Y.) echoed Padilla’s concerns about Trump’s election interference. 

“Today’s ruling is an important victory for voters, but efforts to undermine confidence in our elections and restrict access to the ballot continue,” Morelle said in a statement. “Every eligible American should check their registration, make a plan to vote, and, where available, vote early or by mail.”

As midterm election season heats up, the Trump administration is trying to thwart the vote in myriad ways — including through an executive order to severely kneecap mail voting. 

“Despite this victory, we cannot lose sight of the broader threats to Americans who vote early or by mail,” Samantha Tarazi, co-founder and CEO of Voting Rights Lab, said in a statement. “Between the president’s March 2026 executive order and ongoing USPS rulemaking, state and local leaders must step up to defend early and mail voting options for all Americans.”

An hour after the ruling came down, Trump took to social media to slam the decision and urge Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which is still stalled in the Senate. 

“In light of the tremendous loss in the Supreme Court today concerning Voter’s Rights, and the fact that ‘people’s’ votes are allowed to be counted LONG AFTER an Election is over, it is more important than ever to pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT,” Trump wrote.

Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams praised the ruling but warned of Trump’s continued efforts to undermine voting. 

“While today’s ruling is a win for democracy, we know that President Trump continues to promote dangerous proposals like the SAVE America Act to sow chaos ahead of the midterm elections,” Williams said in a statement. “The strongest path to fight back runs through state legislatures that will continue to shape how elections are run and voting laws.”