It’s “Election DAY.” Not Election MONTH.
The Supreme Court handed Illinois Republican Rep. Michael Bost a big win Wednesday in a 7-2 ruling, allowing him to sue over the state’s loose mail-in voting deadlines.
Bost targeted Illinois’ policy that counts ballots postmarked by Election Day but arriving up to 14 days later — arguing it defies federal laws requiring prompt election results.
Chief Justice John Roberts penned the majority opinion, reversing a lower court’s toss-out and affirming that candidates possess a “concrete and particularized interest” in vote-counting rules for their races.
This decision could unleash similar challenges across the country, urging courts to resolve election disputes before votes get cast and chaos ensues.
Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, calling Bost’s claims too speculative for standing. The Court didn’t rule on the law’s validity — just cleared the path for the lawsuit to advance.
🚨 In a 7-2 vote, the Supreme Court rules that candidates for office have Article III standing to challenge the rules that govern the counting of votes in their elections, reviving Congressman Bost's challenge to the counting of late-arriving mail ballots in Illinois. pic.twitter.com/5J6r3nM6Wk
— SCOTUS Wire (@scotus_wire) January 14, 2026
The ruling from the high court is expected to be hailed as a victory for Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, and comes as the high court is slated to consider a case more directly involving mail-in ballots later this year.
This story is developing…
BREAKING: Supreme Court rules Illinois congressman has standing to challenge mail-in voting rules pic.twitter.com/uFldfOw0wb
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 14, 2026
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