FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 29, 2026

Sen. Cheryl C. Kagan
Vice Chair, Education, Energy, Environment (& Elections!) Committee
(410) 841-3134
Cheryl.Kagan@senate.maryland.gov

Supreme Court Affirms Maryland's Mail-In Ballot Law

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee, preserving states' authority to process mail-in ballots received after Election Day when those ballots were timely postmarked. A narrow 5-4 decision upheld the laws in 14 states and the District of Columbia that allow ballots postmarked on or before Election Day to be counted. This safeguards military and overseas voters, students, and working families, who may face postal delays.

Senator Cheryl Kagan and Delegate Kris Fair anticipated this challenge and acted early. They sponsored and enacted SB949, reaffirming that every eligible ballot should be tabulated. Maryland is the only state to have passed this statutory protection.

Specifically:

In Maryland, mailed ballots are considered timely if received by 10am on the second Friday after Election Day-- only if they were postmarked on or before Election Day; and
If federal rules were ever to differ for federal contests, SB949 would still allow for the counting of State and local contests.

"I am relieved by this decision," said Sen. Cheryl Kagan. "A voter who mails a ballot on time should never need to wonder whether it will be accepted. Today's ruling reaffirms Maryland's longstanding commitment to ensuring that every eligible ballot is counted."

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About Senator Cheryl Kagan: Sen. Kagan (D-District 17) is in her third term representing Gaithersburg and Rockville. She serves as the Vice Chair of the Education, Energy, & Environment (& Elections!) Committee. She is active on social media and can be found on Facebook at Sen. Cheryl Kagan, on Twitter at @CherylKagan, on Instagram at @CherylCKagan, and YouTube at Sen. Cheryl Kagan.