A conservative legal watchdog group says it hopes the Supreme Court will squarely decide this term if political candidates can challenge state laws that allow mail-in ballots to be counted after Election Day and if those laws are legal, given there’s only one federal Election Day. Here’s what you need to know about the ballot counting deadline cases:

The standing issue

Courts have questioned candidates’ legal right to sue over ballot laws:

The Illinois case

Republican congressman challenges 14-day ballot counting window:

The Mississippi case

Appeals court rules five-day ballot window illegal:

The broader implications

Ruling could affect voting laws in multiple states:

The legal consistency argument

Judicial Watch argues for uniform national standard:

The political stakes

Conservative group warns of manipulation concerns:

Read more:

• Illinois ballot case at Supreme Court could help candidates challenge election laws

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