In some states, such as Florida, all ballots are counted on Election Day and results are guaranteed to be certified by the end of the night. In other states, such as California, there is hardly such a thing as Election Day, and the day itself is just the beginning of weeks or months of cursing about making complicated what should be straightforward. Only one of these two systems complies with federal law. Now, the Supreme Court will finally hear a case that should return America to a sensible national standard.

Mississippi has become one of 30 states that require mail-in ballots to be counted even if they are received after Election Day. Some states, such as Illinois, mandate that all ballots received up to 14 days after Election Day shall be counted. In California, the limit is seven days. In Mississippi, the limit is five days. In Florida, Georgia, and some other states, all ballots received after Election Day are excluded from the count, no matter when they were postmarked.