The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on Monday that states like Illinois can continue counting mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day, delivering a major setback to a GOP-backed effort tied to President Donald Trump. Illinois Democratic leaders praised the dec
For Illinois voters who planned to rely on the mail, Monday’s Supreme Court ruling landed like a pause button—one that keeps their ballots in the pipeline as long as they were postmarked by Election Day.
Top Illinois Democrats celebrated the decision after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a GOP challenge that would have blocked states from counting certain mail-in ballots received after Election Day. The challenge. backed by President Donald Trump and led by the Republican National Committee. is part of Trump’s longer campaign to restrict mail voting and to connect it to voter fraud.
The stakes were immediate for Illinois, where the state allows mailed ballots to be counted for several days after an election if they are postmarked by Election Day. The Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling targeted laws in 14 states and the District of Columbia, including Illinois.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett wrote the court’s majority opinion. She was joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and the three liberal justices. Barrett’s central point was rooted in federal election law: federal laws setting a single Election Day “leave open when those votes must be received.”
The decision was a major loss for Trump, but it also avoided a broader disruption that election officials feared could spill into the November midterm elections.
Trump responded immediately. In a Truth Social post. he called the ruling a “tremendous loss” and urged Congress to pass the SAVE America Act. That proposal. Trump argued. would ban mail ballots and require voters to present proof of citizenship—such as a passport or birth certificate—when they register to vote. The law would also include a requirement for photo identification and would restrict mail-in ballots to limited exceptions involving illness. disability. military deployment. or travel.
“There is no excuse for a politician, or otherwise, to be against the above three requirements,” Trump wrote. “There is only one reason to oppose — CHEATING!”
Illinois Democrats say they agree the ruling matters—but they warn the fight is still ongoing.
According to the Illinois State Board of Elections. voters can apply for a mail ballot up to five days before an election. though election officials urge people to consider applying as early as possible. Ballots sent through the U.S. Postal Service must be postmarked on or before Election Day. In Illinois. ballots can be counted for up to two weeks after Election Day. as long as they are postmarked appropriately.
The process in Illinois also offers multiple ways to return a ballot. Voters can mail their ballots. deliver them in person to the local election authority office. or in many jurisdictions place them in a secure drop box. Completed ballots are not accepted at polling places or early voting locations; voters attempting to bring a completed mail ballot there are instead offered the option of surrendering their mail ballot and voting in person.
First-time voters or voters with an address change face additional requirements in Illinois: they must bring two forms of ID to vote. with one of the documents showing their current address. While ID requirements vary across locations. election authorities recommend bringing at least one form of identification in case questions come up.
Gov. JB Pritzker praised the ruling but framed it as temporary relief. In a statement. he said Trump is using “every weapon in our arsenal to attack our free and fair elections.” Pritzker said the Supreme Court ruled against him “on an asinine attempt to throw out a law that ensures mail ballots get counted. ” but warned. “his assault is not over.” He added. “We cannot look away while the most corrupt president in history attempts to rewrite our election laws to serve his own interests.”.
Sen. Dick Durbin took a similar tone. He called the ruling a “victory. ” but cautioned that “voting rights are still under attack.” Durbin urged Congress to pass the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which he said would update and restore safeguards of the original Voting Rights Act. Durbin argued the measure addresses voter suppression and is designed to ensure every voter. regardless of race or background. has equal access to the ballot box.
The broader legal backdrop also looms over the political fight. In April. the Supreme Court ruled that Louisiana’s 2024 congressional map was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. effectively weakening an argument plaintiffs have used to protect against racial discrimination in voting and representation.
Durbin said in his statement, “To preserve the right to vote for every eligible American,” Congress must act—“including passing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore and strengthen the protections of the Voting Rights Act.”
For Illinois, Monday’s ruling means the state can keep counting postmarked mail ballots as the law allows. For Democrats, it also means something else: the next turn of the fight is already underway—now aimed at broader changes Trump wants Congress to adopt.
Supreme Court Illinois mail ballots Election Day postmarked voting rights SAVE America Act John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act JB Pritzker Dick Durbin Amy Coney Barrett