3:05The Supreme Court is observed during oral arguments, Jan. 13, 2026, in Washington.Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court notably broadened the capacity of political office candidates to contest election regulations, reversing lower court rulings that mandated candidates demonstrate specific harm to initiate a lawsuit.
The 7-2 ruling favored Illinois Republicans who are challenging a state policy that allows counting of validly cast but late-arriving mail ballots for up to two weeks post Election Day.
This decision is also expected to escalate legal disputes across the nation as the midterm elections approach.
"Candidates possess a clear and specific interest in the regulations that dictate the counting of votes in their elections, irrespective of whether those regulations adversely affect their electoral chances or raise campaign costs," wrote Chief Justice John Roberts in the court’s opinion.
Rep. Mike Bost exits the House GOP caucus meeting at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, Sept. 20, 2022.Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
Roberts concluded that candidates — simply by running for office — should have the right to file legal challenges concerning the regulations that govern the conduct of campaigns and the casting and counting of votes.
Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Elena Kagan agreed with the court’s decision in the case but based their agreement on different reasoning, asserting that candidates should be required to demonstrate a "pocketbook injury" or some form of "actual or imminent injury" before being permitted to sue.
The Supreme Court is observed during oral arguments, Jan. 13, 2026, in Washington.Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
In dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, joined by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, criticized the majority for deviating from established law and "unnecessarily inserting the judiciary into the political sphere."
"By establishing a unique rule for candidate-plaintiffs — permitting them to challenge the regulations governing the counting of votes solely because they are candidates for office — the Court complicates and destabilizes both our existing legal framework and America’s electoral process," Jackson wrote.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com