The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that states can count mail ballots received after Election Day so long as they are postmarked by Election Day, rejecting a Republican-led challenge aimed at tightening ballot-receipt deadlines. The decision spares election administrators from changing rules on a short timeline ahead of the 2026 midterms. Justice Amy Coney Barrett authored the majority opinion, emphasizing that federal law sets an Election Day deadline for casting but “leave[s] open” when ballots must be received. The court noted Congress could create a national standard if it wanted uniform receipt rules. While framed as election administration, the ruling matters for universities through student voting access and campus civic engagement infrastructure. Many institutions run voter-registration drives and partner with local election offices; predictable ballot rules reduce operational uncertainty for outreach efforts.