Supreme Court Hears Case on Counting Mail-In Ballots

The Supreme Court heard oral argument in Bost v. Illinois State Board of Elections. The case, brought on by Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) and two 2020 Illinois presidential electors, examined whether a candidate for public office had standing to challenge a state's mail-in voting law in court. Under Illinois law, voters may cast their ballots by mail so long as the ballot is postmarked on or before Election Day. Also, mail-in ballots must be received by state election officials within 14 days of the election date in order to count. Rep. Bost and the two other plaintiffs challenged the mail-in-ballot law in federal court, arguing it impermissibly extended Election Day. Lower courts ruled the plaintiffs lacked standing to sue, which was also the stance of the Illinois government, the respondent in this case. During argument, relevant points of debate included the competitiveness of elections and expenses incurred by candidates in the two-week period when mail-in votes are counted
October 8, 2025 11:51 AM EDT