Court hints at strict ballot-receipt rule, threatening late-arriving California mail ballots

The U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative bloc signaled readiness to rule that ballots must be received by election day to be counted, potentially upending California’s practice of counting late-arriving mail ballots and pressuring voters to mail earlier. The case, Watson v. Republican National Committee, challenges state rules allowing postmarked ballots that arrive after Election Day to be counted, a practice followed by several western states. A ruling upholding a strict receipt deadline could redefine how ballots are handled nationwide and affect election timing and outcomes.