US Supreme Court allows IL rep to sue over late ballots

(The Center Square) - The U.S. Supreme Court, in a 7-2 decision, said an Illinois congressman has the right to sue the state over counting federal election ballots beyond Election Day. U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, filed a lawsuit against the state in 2022 for counting ballots postmarked on Election Day up to two weeks later. The court affirmed Bost had legal standing to sue without addressing whether states could allow mail-in ballots received after Election Day to be counted. Chief Justice John Roberts, in a majority opinion for the court, said individuals who sue must display a personal stake in a case to have standing. As a candidate for office, Roberts said, Bost had that standing. "A candidate has a personal stake in the rules that govern the counting of votes in his election," Roberts wrote. A candidate who expends additional resources or undergoes reputational harm will be affected by unlawful election rules, Roberts said. He argued candidates also have an interest in fai