President Donald Trump's allies are criticizing Supreme court justiceAmy Coney Barrett after she authored the majority opinion in a closely divided ruling that allows Mississippi to continue counting certain Mail-in Ballots received after Election Day.
According to Fox News, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of Mississippi's law, with Barrett joining Chief Justice John Roberts and the court's three liberal justices.
The decision concluded that federal law establishes Election Day as the deadline for voters to cast their ballots, but does not require every ballot to physically arrive by that date in order to be counted if state law provides otherwise.
Writing for the majority, Barrett said federal election statutes require voters to make their choice by Election Day but do not specify when valid ballots must be received by election officials.
The ruling quickly triggered criticism from conservative lawmakers, legal advocates and commentators, many of whom argued the decision weakens election integrity.
Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt called the opinion "a shockingly wrong opinion" and said it strengthens the case for Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, legislation backed by President Trump that would require proof of citizenship and voter identification in federal elections.
Conservative author Hans Mahncke argued Barrett had become "the biggest conservative judicial disaster since Souter."
Jason Snead, executive director of the Honest Elections Project, said the court "misses the mark," arguing federal law requires ballots to be received by Election Day and warning the ruling could reduce public confidence in election results.
Trump also weighed in following the decision, calling it "a tremendous loss" in a post on Truth Social. He renewed his call for nationwide voter identification requirements, proof of citizenship for voting, and tighter limits on mail voting.
Trump also urged the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act, noting that the House has already approved the legislation multiple times. He argued the measure is necessary to strengthen confidence in the nation's election system following the court's decision.