Court of Appeals Ruling Could Have ‘Drastic Effects’ on Elections: Lawyer [Video]

An appeal court decision on absentee ballots could have a devastating effect on U.S. elections, a legal analyst has said.

Republicans are currently challenging Mississippi’s absentee ballot rules before the conservative 5th Circuit court of appeals.

If successful, it could affect absentee ballot rules and have a drastic effect throughout the U.S, says Attorney Joyce Vance.

On September 24, 2024, a Fifth Circuit panel heard oral argument in RNC v. Wetzel, a Mississippi case concerning mail-in absentee ballots. Mississippi accepts ballots that are delivered up to five business days after an election, so long as they are postmarked on or before Election Day.

The Republican National Committee has argued that this “effectively extends Mississippi’s federal election past the Election Day established by Congress” and results in valid ballots being “diluted by untimely, invalid ballots.” The RNC is challenging Justin Wetzel, the clerk and registrar of the Circuit Court of Harrison County, Mississippi.

Republicans …