WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on Watson v. Republican National Committee, upholding a Mississippi law allowing ballots postmarked by Election Day to arrive later and still be counted.
In Washington state, this means voters will have up to 20 days to have their votes counted, as long as ballots are postmarked by Election Day.
In a statement sent to staff, King County Election (KCE) Director Julie Wise said: “This is a relief not only for us but for our voters, and will help make sure that thousands of voters are able to have their ballot counted in this November’s midterms and future elections.”
However, Representative Jim Walsh, who is Chairman of the Washington GOP, was not thrilled with the SCOTUS ruling.
“Our official position is we’re disappointed but not deterred,” said Walsh.
Representative Walsh says he still questions the security of Washington’s mail-in ballot system and wants to see Washington legislation in line with the SAVE America Act, which is currently in the Senate.
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs says he’s still waiting for Rep. Walsh to provide proof.
“My words to Jim Walsh is the fact that look at our state. We had 90 million votes cast in a 10-year period and there’s only five cases of fraud that we identified,” said Hobbs.
Due to changes at the United States Postal Service and a pending ruling, KCE Director Wise and Secretary Hobbs are urging Washington voters to get their ballots in early and to use state drop boxes.
©2026 Cox Media Group
