By Lauren McCauley | Editor
“The electorate’s choice is made when voting is complete, not when ballots are received.” - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, writing for the majority in an opinion that allows mail-in ballots to be received after Election Day.
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Greg Lange of Bismarck, North Dakota, drops off his absentee ballot and his wife’s at the Bismarck Burleigh County Office Building on June 8, 2026. (Photo by Michael Achterling/North Dakota Monitor)
By Jonathan Shorman
In a 5-4 decision, the court found that federal law does not prevent states from accepting late-arriving ballots. The ruling is a victory for Democrats and voting rights advocates, who had said setting a hard, Election Day deadline for ballot arrival would risk disenfranchising voters amid fears of deteriorating mail service.
COMMENTARY
By Daniel Wathen
Here in Maine, the institutions of self-government are not abstractions. They are made up of people in our own communities: local officials who administer elections, judges who apply the law, clerks who maintain public records, lawyers who help resolve disputes, jurors who weigh evidence, and citizens who participate in civic life. These institutions may not always make headlines, but they are the backbone of our republic.
By Kaitlyn Budion
While the Katahdin Higher Education Center develops a path to long-term financial sustainability without the University of Maine System, funding from Gov. Janet Mills will ensure the East Millinocket-based center can remain open in the short term.
By Anna Claire Vollers, Stateline
The Democratic attorneys general and governors who are plaintiffs in the suit claim the feds surprised them with this new rule months after they’d already been working with CMS on how to implement the work requirements.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
High court issues split decisions on Trump’s control of executive board members | Ashley Murray, States Newsroom
US Supreme Court says police need warrants for cellphone location data | Jonathan Shorman, States Newsroom
Changes to immigration program for domestic violence victims impede safety, advocates say | Nada Hassanein, Stateline
Former Oklahoma trooper nominated by Trump to head up ICE | Ariana Figueroa, States Newsroom
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