In this video, we break down the major January 14, 2026 Supreme Court decision in Bost v. Illinois State Board of Elections — a 7-2 victory for election integrity and candidate rights.

The Court ruled that political candidates, like Illinois Republican Congressman Mike Bost, have Article III standing to challenge state election laws governing how votes are counted in their races — even before proving specific harm to their electoral chances. This reverses lower court dismissals and remands the case for further proceedings.

At issue: Illinois law allows mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day to be received and counted up to two weeks later. Bost argued this violates federal statutes setting a uniform Election Day for federal elections.

Chief Justice Roberts, writing for the majority, emphasized candidates' concrete interest in the integrity of vote-counting rules and the democratic process. The decision could open the door to more pre-election challenges nationwide, helping resolve disputes before votes are tallied and reducing post-election chaos.

A big step forward for transparency and accountability in our elections. What do you think — will this lead to fairer processes or more litigation? Drop your thoughts below, like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more updates on SCOTUS, self-defense, and the law! #ElectionIntegrity #SCOTUS #BostvIllinois