5th Circuit drops October surprise over Mississippi’s election ballot rules

A U.S. federal appeals court ruled against Mississippi’s mail ballot law that allows election officials to count ballots that are postmarked by Election Day but arrive afterward, setting the stage for a possible Supreme Court review. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas, sent the issue back to a lower court for further review. The decision would only impact Mississippi should a federal district court judge agree to bar the state from counting late-arriving mail-in ballots. The decision, issued by a panel of...