AG Bonta issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Watson v. Republican National Committee, which affirmed states’ authority to count ballots cast by Election Day and received by election officials shortly afterward. California law provides that ballots returned by mail are timely if postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days.

“Today’s decision recognizes a basic reality: Mail delays happen. When people vote by Election Day, their ballots should not be discarded because of those delays. Since our nation’s founding, states have been primarily responsible for regulating elections, and we are pleased that the U.S. Supreme Court has respected that authority.” -AG Bonta