The Supreme Court has agreed to review a case challenging the counting of thousands of ballots that were cast before Election Day in several states. The Republican National Committee (RNC) is seeking to have these ballots disqualified, arguing that an 1872 law requires them to be thrown out.
According to the GOP's claim, this law states that federal elections should take place on the "Tuesday next after the 1st Monday in November" and that this restriction applies to late-arriving ballots. However, no one has pointed out this rule for over 150 years, raising questions about its relevance.
The issue is particularly contentious given President Donald Trump's attempts to restrict mail voting, which disproportionately affects Democrats who are more likely to use this method of voting. The Republican Party is seeking to limit these votes and increase the likelihood of Republican candidates winning in close elections.
However, a federal appeals court ruling in Oldham v. Republican National Committee found no basis for the RNC's claims about the 1872 law. In its opinion, Justice John Lee Oldham ruled that "receipt of the last ballot constitutes consummation of the election and must occur on Election Day," but failed to provide any solid legal support for this assertion.
Given the weak arguments presented by the RNC in court, it's unlikely that a majority of Supreme Court justices would agree with their interpretation. If anything, the Court may opt to uphold the lower court ruling or even dismiss the case altogether, thereby avoiding further entanglement in a contentious election dispute.
According to the GOP's claim, this law states that federal elections should take place on the "Tuesday next after the 1st Monday in November" and that this restriction applies to late-arriving ballots. However, no one has pointed out this rule for over 150 years, raising questions about its relevance.
The issue is particularly contentious given President Donald Trump's attempts to restrict mail voting, which disproportionately affects Democrats who are more likely to use this method of voting. The Republican Party is seeking to limit these votes and increase the likelihood of Republican candidates winning in close elections.
However, a federal appeals court ruling in Oldham v. Republican National Committee found no basis for the RNC's claims about the 1872 law. In its opinion, Justice John Lee Oldham ruled that "receipt of the last ballot constitutes consummation of the election and must occur on Election Day," but failed to provide any solid legal support for this assertion.
Given the weak arguments presented by the RNC in court, it's unlikely that a majority of Supreme Court justices would agree with their interpretation. If anything, the Court may opt to uphold the lower court ruling or even dismiss the case altogether, thereby avoiding further entanglement in a contentious election dispute.
. The whole thing seems kinda fishy to me. They're trying to force these old laws that nobody's really looked at in over 150 years onto the system. And let's be real, who hasn't tried to vote by mail at some point? It's not like it's a new thing.
. But hey, at least they're sticking up for what they believe in, right?
The whole thing is just so wild... I mean, can you believe they're trying to get rid of those ballots that were cast way before Election Day? It's like, what's the point of even having an election if people aren't gonna be able to vote in a timely manner? 
I'm actually kinda hoping that the Supreme Court will side with the lower court ruling, 'cause it seems like common sense to me - if someone's already voted, can't they just be done with it? 
And honestly, if the RNC is worried about the ballots being counted after Election Day, shouldn't they be focusing on getting their own house in order before trying to mess with others' votes? 
. IT SEEMS LIKE THE RNC IS JUST TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO DISQUALIFY THOSE VOTES THAT COULD GIVE DEMOCRATS AN EDGE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW PRESIDENT TRUMP'S MAIL VOTING RESTRICTIONS AFFECT PEOPLE. I MEAN, WHO THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO WAIT FOR 150 YEARS BEFORE POINTING OUT THIS RULE IN THE ELECTION LAWS? IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THEY'RE TRYING TO STIR UP CONTROVERSY AND CONFUSE THE VOTERS 
! I mean, who comes up with this stuff? An 1872 law that's been collecting dust for over 150 years and now they're trying to use it to disenfranchise people? It's just ridiculous 
. And can we talk about how convenient it is for Republicans to try and limit mail voting when they know that Democrats are more likely to use it? 
It's like they want to play games with the electoral system.
. If they do end up upholding the lower court ruling or dismissing the case altogether, it would be a huge win for democracy. We can't let politicians play with fire and expect everyone to just sit back and watch 
.
I think the Republicans' claim about that 1872 law is a bit dodgy, if you ask me. It seems like they're trying to limit votes and influence close elections 
... The fact that no one has pointed out this rule for over 150 years raises so many questions about its relevance 
...
cant let the RNC just make up some bs law outta thin air 
. im hella hopeful the SC is gonna do the right thing & uphold the lower court ruling 
. Let's hope they make the right call! 
Those ballots were cast before Election Day and they should count! It's not like the law was written with a time machine in mind. The fact that no one mentioned this rule for 150 years is just an excuse. 
Anyway, it's all about the mail votes 
which are super important for people who can't make it to the polls in person 
it'll get resolved soon so we can move on from all this drama 
. Maybe the SC will just dismiss it and be done with it 
?
. Anyway, fingers crossed that the Supreme Court sees through this and does what's right 
. In this crazy world of politics, it's easy to get caught up in the drama, but let's take a deep breath and focus on what really matters – the people 
. I mean, who are we to dictate when someone else can cast their ballot? It's about giving everyone an equal say, right? 
ballots and votes... so many lives in between 
is it still valid? 
if no one's pointed out for 150 yrs why bother? 
️ which affects Dems more 
... Supreme Court's gonna weigh in 
and hopefully they'll see sense 
is it just a coincidence or are they trying to pull something over on us? 
The fact that no one has pointed out this "law" for over 150 years is mind-boggling - what a blatant attempt to manipulate the system! 
And let's not forget President Trump's history with restricting mail voting... it's like they're trying to disenfranchise certain groups of people. 
This case should be dismissed ASAP, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the Supreme Court sees through this weak argument