In response to perceived election integrity issues, several Republican-led states, including Kansas, North Dakota, and Utah, have enacted laws eliminating grace periods for late mail ballots, mandating they be received by Election Day.

Many election officials argue that accepting late-arriving ballots does not compromise election integrity, with states like Minnesota successfully maintaining Election Day deadlines.

Historically, the acceptance of late ballots has not been a partisan issue, with states like California allowing them while others, such as Colorado and Indiana, have opted not to.

Trump and Republican leaders have criticized states that allow the counting of ballots arriving after Election Day, claiming this practice delays results and fuels conspiracy theories regarding election integrity.

The proposed legislation in California would still maintain a 30-day certification period for overall election results, despite the push for quicker ballot counting.

Kansas has recently ended its grace period for mail ballots, a change expected to take effect for the upcoming 2026 midterms, with GOP lawmakers advocating for uniform election end times.

In California, Democratic Assemblyman Marc Berman has proposed legislation to require most ballots to be counted within 13 days post-election, aiming to enhance transparency and combat conspiracy theories about election fraud.

California's election officials are facing challenges due to a high volume of mail-in ballots, with many voters submitting their ballots on Election Day, complicating timely counts.

President Trump's recent executive order seeks to prohibit the counting of late mail ballots, asserting that all ballots must be received by Election Day as mandated by federal law.

The U.S. Supreme Court is preparing to hear a challenge from Illinois concerning the legality of counting late mail ballots, amidst a wave of Republican-backed lawsuits aimed at tightening voting deadlines.

These legislative changes are designed to address public concerns about election integrity, particularly among Republican voters, and to bolster confidence in the electoral process.

Despite Trump's assertions, there is no substantial evidence of widespread fraud linked to ballots received after Election Day, and historically, states have permitted late ballots under specific conditions.