During oral arguments in Watson v. Republican National Committee in March 2026, several conservative justices expressed skepticism toward state laws permitting mail ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if received shortly afterward. This posture aligns with the view that federal election-day statutes establish a uniform deadline for receipt of ballots in federal contests. The case originated from a Mississippi challenge and could affect similar grace-period rules in roughly a dozen other states ahead of the 2026 midterms. A decision is anticipated by late June or early July. Traders have priced the implied probability of a ruling barring post-Election Day counting at 72 percent, reflecting the apparent majority lean observed at argument while recognizing that the final opinion remains pending and could incorporate narrower grounds or timing considerations.