NC Board Approves Controversial Mail Ballot Rules Hours Before First Mailing
The North Carolina State Board of Elections approved new guidelines for mail-in ballots in a split 3-2 vote on Friday, just hours before the state began sending out absentee ballots for the 2026 general election. The new numbered memos alter standards for counting returned ballots, specifically requiring county officials to spoil votes if inner envelopes are not properly sealed or if signatures do not match application numbers. While Republican board members argued these are routine administrative updates that will eventually become permanent rules, Democratic members contended the measures create unnecessary hurdles that could disenfranchise voters. The decision follows a period where similar permanent rules were blocked from taking effect due to formal objections, prompting the board to use less permanent memos to bypass legislative review. North Carolina is the first state to begin mailing ballots this cycle, a move occurring amid ongoing federal legal battles over postal restrictions on mail voting.
