The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a friend-of-the-court brief on July 29 in support of a GOP congressman’s challenge to an Illinois law that allows ballots received 14 days after Election Day to be counted.
Eighteen states, including Illinois, accept mailed ballots received after Election Day if they bear a postmark from or before Election Day, according to a National Conference of State Legislatures report. The District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands also follow the same rule.
A friend-of-the-court brief is filed with a court by a person or organization that is not a party to the case but has an interest in its outcome, and may contain extra information that could affect the court’s decision….