Story perspectives

North Carolina mails absentee ballots after new sealing rules

9/5/2026

Center

North Carolina Begins Mailings

North Carolina began mailing absentee ballots on Friday, September 4, 2026, becoming the first state to start the 2026 midterm election process.
State officials said the mailing will continue unchanged despite pending legal challenges and possible last-minute guidance updates.
The State Board of Elections scheduled a 9 a.m. Friday meeting to finalize county absentee-ballot guidance.
Sam Hayes said ballots now have a security-box marking, while a lawsuit challenges USPS rules.

Left

North Carolina Tightens

North Carolina began mailing absentee ballots on Friday, September 4, 2026, starting the 2026 midterm election process.
The State Board of Elections approved last-minute, party-line 3-2 memos tightening envelope sealing rules and limiting voter assistance, sparking disenfranchisement concerns.
The memos were released at 7:09 a.m., hours before the noon ballot mailing.
The new sealing rule would spoil ballots for minor envelope errors that previously were non-material.

Blindspot

The State Board of Elections approved last-minute memos tightening envelope-sealing rules that would spoil ballots for minor envelope errors, and the board voted 3-2 along party lines.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

After the 2000 Florida recount ended with the Supreme Court’s Bush v. Gore decision on Dec 12 2000, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act in 2002, allocating $3.5 billion to upgrade voting equipment and standardize absentee ballots. That federal reform underpins the North Carolina State Board’s 3-2 vote on Sep 4 2026 to tighten envelope-sealing rules, overseen by Sam Hayes, amid ongoing USPS litigation.

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North Carolina Begins Mailings

North Carolina began mailing absentee ballots on Friday, September 4, 2026, becoming the first state to start the 2026 midterm election process.
State officials said the mailing will continue unchanged despite pending legal challenges and possible last-minute guidance updates.
The State Board of Elections scheduled a 9 a.m. Friday meeting to finalize county absentee-ballot guidance.
Sam Hayes said ballots now have a security-box marking, while a lawsuit challenges USPS rules.

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