Republican lawmakers and conservative voting rights advocates have formally petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to take up ongoing legal disputes surrounding the counting of mail-in ballots in the upcoming elections.

The request reflects continuing national debate over how elections should be conducted and how votes cast by mail are treated in key battleground states. According to the filing, GOP attorneys argued that differing state rules for mail-in ballots could lead to inconsistent outcomes and potentially affect the integrity of federal elections.

The legal brief was submitted as part of a broader effort by Republican officials to have the Supreme Court clarify standards for how and when mail-in ballots should be counted, especially in close contests. The GOP contends that without such clarification, vote counting could vary widely from state to state, leading to confusion and conflicting results.

Supporters of the petition argue that Supreme Court intervention is needed to ensure uniform application of voting rules nationwide. They emphasize that clarity from the nation’s highest court would provide needed guidance ahead of major midterm elections scheduled for later this year.

Critics of the move warn that involving the Supreme Court in election law disputes could politicize the judicial branch and shift control over election administration away from the states. As of now, the Court has not publicly announced whether it will agree to hear the case.