AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: American Association of People with Disabilities Applauds Supreme Court Protecting Mail Ballot Grace Periods
On June 29, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled in RNC v. Watson to uphold the right of states to count mail-in ballots received in the days following Election Day, provided they are postmarked on or before Election Day. The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) applauded the decision, having joined an amicus brief alongside other advocacy groups to preserve these grace periods, which currently range from 3 to 14 days in fourteen states and multiple U.S. territories. AAPD emphasized that the ruling protects vital voting accessibility for the estimated 40.2 million eligible voters with disabilities, who rely heavily on mail-in voting due to systemic barriers at physical polling places, ensuring their ballots are not unfairly disqualified by external factors like postal delays.
