Michael Watson, Mississippi Secretary of State, Petitioner v. Republican National Committee, et al.

The Supreme Court said federal election-day laws override a Mississippi rule that let ballots cast by Election Day be received by election officials shortly after that day in federal races. The case asked whether federal law leaves states room to count those late-arriving ballots.

The Court ruled for Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson and said the federal election-day statutes preempt the state law, but the prompt does not provide the vote count or opinion lineup.

Mississippi election officials cannot use that extra receipt period for federal elections after this decision. For example, a voter who mails a ballot on time but it arrives after Election Day could have that ballot rejected for federal offices.

Lower courts must apply the Supreme Court's answer in any remaining proceedings tied to Mississippi's rule. Mississippi election officials now need to run future federal elections under rules that match this decision.

The fight was over whether federal election-day laws block Mississippi from counting ballots received after Election Day. Those ballots still had to be cast by Election Day under state law.

Election officials in Mississippi must stop using a post-Election-Day receipt window for federal races. Voters who rely on mail delivery after that day face a greater risk their federal ballot will not count.

Lower courts must follow this answer in any related case. Mississippi must adjust its federal-election practices to match the ruling.