Full Breakdown
North Carolina Board Approves New Mail-Ballot Rules Ahead of 2026 Midterms
7/21/2026, 12:57:09 AM
New Mail-Ballot Rules Approved by the State Board of Elections
On Monday, the GOP-controlled North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) voted 3-2 along party lines to adopt permanent rules that tighten requirements for mail-in ballots. The regulations mandate that voters submit written attestations to remedy technical envelope “irregularities,” such as using the wrong envelope type or failing to seal an inner envelope. Previously, ballots with such issues were still counted. The changes must still be cleared by the state’s Rules Review Commission, which is composed of Republican political appointees.
Background and Recent Rule Changes
The mail-ballot rule follows a series of partisan measures passed by the board in recent weeks. A prior vote lowered the threshold for rejecting voter-ID forms when voters lack a photo ID, and another granted local election officials greater authority to remove voters from polling places. State law already requires voter ID but allows exemptions for religious objections or stolen IDs, which currently need a unanimous bipartisan local decision. The new proposals would let those exemptions be denied by a simple party-line vote.
Official Statements & Responses
Republican board members argue the rules are permissible under state law and are needed to protect election security. Francis De Luca said the board’s goal is to ensure ballots are “secure and secret.” Stacy Eggers IV emphasized that voters must follow the “clear instructions” to have their votes counted. Republican member Angela Hawkins asserted that county boards are “more than happy to help voters get it right.”
Democratic Criticism & Concerns
Democratic members warned the measures could disenfranchise voters, especially those with disabilities. Jeff Carmon expressed “significant concerns” that the changes would confuse voters and called the instructions “confusing.” Siobhan Millen warned that “perfectly sound ballots” could be discarded due to “over-fussiness.” Sailor Jones, state director of Common Cause North Carolina, said it is “especially concerning” that the rules are being considered so close to a major election without adequate public notice.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Everyone has not been blessed with the amount of education that we have,” — Jeff Carmon, Democratic board member
- “If they don’t understand which envelope they were supposed to put it in, but they put it in a sealed envelope, I think it’s overly fastidious to throw their ballot out,” — Siobhan O’Duffy Millen, Democratic board member
- “The most secure and secret way of doing it is to vote on Election Day,” — Francis De Luca, Republican board member
- “If they can't follow the clear instructions that are given to them, I'm not quite sure what exactly more we can do to help,” — Stacy Eggers IV, Republican board member
- “It’s especially concerning that these new rules are being considered so close to a major election, without enough time to fully inform the public about significant changes to the voting process,” — Sailor Jones, Common Cause North Carolina
The rules will take effect only after approval by the Rules Review Commission, leaving their ultimate impact on the 2026 midterm elections uncertain.
