First batch of mail ballots goes out as postal changes fuel election anxieties

Wake County, NC will mail about 5,000 absentee ballots in the first wave as officials prepare for a midterm with heightened scrutiny of USPS practices and a Trump-linked order. Ballots go out with processing, testing, and guidance for military/overseas voters who can vote online; officials warn the return window could be tight if postmarks are delayed. The piece places state actions, legal challenges to postal/rules changes, and national warnings about potential ballot noncounting, noting USPS says postmark rules aren’t being altered but transportation tweaks could affect timing and urging voters to plan ahead.