John: Mail-in ballots are under attack again.

This week, the Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments in RNC v. Wetzel, a lawsuit challenging Mississippi’s law allowing a five-day grace period for late-arriving ballots mailed by Election Day. In simpler terms, it's a case about whether your vote will count if you mail it on or before Election Day, but your ballot arrives after Election Day.

It's clear why a political party -- in this case, the Republican National Committee (RNC) -- is claiming that states must reject ballots that arrive after Election Day. Doing so would potentially disenfranchise a large number of voters, restricting the number of participants in an election. And the data is clear, over the last several election cycles, Republicans have been outnumbered in the use of mail-in ballots. 

The RNC is making a blunt decision that their ability to win elections matters more than your vote. It's a cynical attempt to stay in power by suppressing ballots that are delivered late by the postal service. It's the kind of partisan work that shows they'd rather believe in their own power and control than the principles of democracy, of a country where all our votes should count, regardless of party.

John: We cannot allow blatant partisanship to overrule our right to vote. Help make every mail-in ballot count in Mississippi and beyond with $25 or whatever you can today to make every voice heard in our elections >>

Our position is clear: If your ballot was postmarked by Election Day, it should count.

This shouldn't be a partisan question. No political party -- Democrat, Republican, Green, Working Families, Libertarian, Reform, Conservative -- should be against voting. No party in our democracy should want to restrict the fundamental right of our fellow citizens to make their voice heard through voting.

But now we're facing a case where the Supreme Court’s decision could strike down or uphold laws in 16 states (and Washington D.C.)  allowing late-arriving ballots postmarked on or before Election Day to be counted if they arrive within a set grace period. 

How do we know what is at stake? Data from the 2024 Massachusetts elections shows that their three-day grace period for ballots to arrive after Election Day resulted in a 60% drop in rejected ballots as compared to no grace period. That means thousands of votes still counted, more than 1.5% of the total vote count. In a close election, that 1.5% could easily mean the difference between winning and losing.

Our fundamental right to vote should matter so much more than a partisan desperation to win. Chip in $25 or whatever you can to help us defend the use of mail-in ballots and make every vote count in elections nationwide >>

Integrity First Voter Action Project is dedicated to expanding ballot access and increasing voter participation across the country.

Since the Supreme Court gutted key provisions in the Voting Rights Act, extreme politicians have taken advantage to pass harsh laws that restrict access to the ballot box. These restrictions particularly affect disadvantaged communities and people of color. It’s our goal to bring awareness to these laws wherever they may crop up and organize voters to take action to ensure the right to vote is available to everyone in their states and communities.

Your support is crucial to our efforts. Will you donate today to help us protect voting rights?

Contributions or gifts to Integrity First Voter Action Project are not tax-deductible as charitable contributions or as business expenses under IRC Section 162(3). Integrity First Voter Action Project is organized and operates under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code.

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Integrity First Voter Action Project
P.O. Box 19294
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United States