Supreme Court Decision Affects Challenges to State Mail Voting Rules

Why it matters locally: Wyoming, like other states, utilizes mail-in voting, and ongoing legal challenges regarding state mail voting rules could eventually influence future election procedures or access for its residents.

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WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed a challenge to state mail voting rules, initiated by former President Donald Trump's campaign committees, to proceed. The court’s decision on Tuesday effectively denied a request from a legal advocacy group to block an appellate court ruling. This ruling had cleared the way for the former president's legal entities to continue their lawsuit against specific state election procedures. The underlying case involves attempts to influence how states manage mail ballots. Lawyers for the Trump campaign committees aim to fund legal challenges against state election rules, specifically those that expand mail voting access. Following the 2020 election, the former president and his allies made multiple claims regarding mail-in voting. These claims centered on the security and validity of mail ballots. Federal judges have largely rejected these arguments in previous legal proceedings. Several states modified their election laws in 2020 to accommodate voting during the pandemic, including expanding access to mail ballots. This change allowed more voters to cast their ballots by mail rather than in person. The current Supreme Court action relates to a 2022 federal court ruling. This ruling stated that campaign committees could not be restricted from making independent expenditures for legal actions related to ballot access. The group challenging the appellate ruling argued that this could lead to widespread disruption of election administration. The Supreme Court's decision means that legal argument can now continue in lower courts. Separately, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) recently issued new guidance concerning mail ballots. The USPS established a new standard for states sending mail-in ballots to voters. Under this new rule, states must send ballots at least 15 days before Election Day. This change aims to ensure sufficient time for delivery and return of ballots. However, election officials and voting rights advocates have expressed concerns that this new timeframe could create challenges for states, particularly those with existing deadlines for ballot mailing that are closer to Election Day.