US President Donald Trump criticized a Supreme Court decision on Monday (June 29) that allows mail-in ballots received after Election Day to be counted, calling it “surprising” and “very detrimental to honest elections”. The court on Monday rejected a Republican-led challenge to a five-day grace period in Mississippi for election day ballots, dealing a setback to Trump. The justices in a 5-4 ruling overturned a lower court's decision that had deemed Mississippi's law inconsistent with U.S. statutes that set the timing of federal elections — for the presidency, Senate and House of Representatives.

The court’s ruling means state laws that allow ballots to be received after Election Day can stand.

In a surprise decision across ideological lines, the Supreme Court is saving a grace period for ballots received after Election Day.