### Supreme Court to Hear Challenge Over Illinois Mail-in Ballot Law in 2024 Term

The United States Supreme Court has agreed to review a challenge brought against an Illinois statute that allows mail-in ballots to be counted up to 14 days post-Election Day. The lawsuit, initiated by Representative Mike Bost, a Republican representing downstate Illinois, along with two federal electors, argues that the state law violates federal election statutes by permitting absentee ballots to be received and tallied after the designated Election Day.

The case, among four added to the Court's docket for the next term starting in October, stems from a legal battle that began in 2022. A federal trial court previously dismissed the case, ruling that Bost and the electors did not have the standing to sue, a decision upheld by a federal appeals court. Represented by Judicial Watch, a conservative activist organization, Bost has called on the justices to intervene.

This dispute is part of a broader pattern of Republican challenges to state laws permitting the counting of mail-in ballots after Election Day—a contentious topic magnified following the 2020 presidential election. During that period, the use of mail-in ballots surged due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an expansion contested by former President Donald Trump.

In addition to this election law debate, the Supreme Court will tackle several other significant issues in its upcoming term. These include a case questioning whether immigrant detainees can sue a private detention contractor for forced labor, a Montana case concerning warrantless home entry by law enforcement in emergency situations, and a suit involving a U.S. soldier attempting to hold a government contractor accountable for negligence following a suicide bombing in Afghanistan.

Lawyers for the immigrants argue that GEO Group, the largest private prison operator in the United States, engaged in coercive practices by making detainees perform unpaid janitorial work under threat of solitary confinement—a claim GEO disputes by citing sovereign immunity. The justices' decision in this case could have wide-ranging implications for the treatment of detainees and the accountability of private contractors operating under federal oversight.

The justices will also consider the actions of Montana police officers who shot and wounded William Trevor Case during a welfare check in 2021. The legal question centers on the standard of proof required for police to enter a home without a warrant in emergency situations, potentially clarifying the precedent set by the 2006 Supreme Court decision in Brigham City v. Stuart.

Lastly, the Court will review the case of Winston T. Hencely, a U.S. Army specialist injured during a suicide bombing in Afghanistan. Hencely's lawsuit against Fluor Corporation, alleging negligence due to inadequate supervision of the employee who perpetrated the attack, was previously dismissed by a federal appeals court under the Federal Tort Claims Act. The Supreme Court's decision to hear this case could set a significant precedent for the liability of government contractors in conflict zones.

As these cases progress, the Supreme Court's upcoming term promises to address a diverse array of crucial legal issues impacting election laws, detainee rights, police procedure, and contractor liability.