The Calendar That Doesn’t Exist
A new bill from Florida aims to fix a broken system where ballots count long after polls close. California accepts mail-in ballots up to a week after Election Day if they are postmarked on time. This creates a chaotic wait for results that confuses voters and hurts confidence. Rep. Laurel Lee says this delay is unnecessary and dangerous for our democracy.
Lee wants the Ballots by Election Day Act to require ballots be received by the time polls shut. If a ballot arrives late, it simply will not count. This rule applies to all federal elections across the nation.
The current mess in the Golden State proves why this change is urgent. The June primary there saw officials still tallying votes days after the June 2 contests ended. According to The Federalist, an observer remarked that Colombia, a mountainous nation plagued by drug lords and guerrillas, tallies votes more effectively than California, given such dire circumstances.
The Cost of Waiting
These delays have real consequences for who wins and who loses. In Los Angeles, late ballots helped radical leftist Nithya Raman leapfrog conservative Spencer Pratt for a spot on the general election ballot. The 2024 election cycle forced the country to wait over a month to know the balance of power in the House. This uncertainty fuels suspicion about election manipulation and lowers trust in our leaders.
Fourteen states plus the District of Columbia currently accept postmarked ballots after Election Day. This system allows third parties to collect unlimited numbers of ballots and create massive dumps that can shift outcomes. Lee argues that Florida shows a better way exists. According to her, Florida demonstrated accessible ballot casting for voters alongside a clear deadline for receipt.
The Supreme Court recently failed to fix this issue in the Watson v. RNC case. The court’s 5-4 ruling upheld Mississippi’s five-day grace period for receiving mail ballots. The majority opinion ignored arguments that the Constitution sets a clear date for Election Day and when ballots must arrive. This leaves the door open for more delays in future races.
A Clear Path Forward
We need a standard that protects the integrity of every vote cast. The Ballots by Election Day Act offers that clarity to voters and officials alike. Lee believes this alteration extends that commonsense standard to federal elections nationwide, offering increased certainty for voters, election officials, and the American people.
