<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The North Carolina Board of Elections, with a Republican majority, approved new rules for mail-in ballots on September 4, 2026, just hours before the state began sending ballots for the upcoming midterm elections.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Board voted along party lines to instruct county officials to reject certain absentee ballots for specific errors that previously would not have disqualified a vote. Republican board members stated that the changes are necessary to enforce state election law, while Democrats expressed concerns that these changes could disenfranchise eligible voters.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The most significant change pertains to issues with the envelope used to return a ballot. Previously, county officials had some discretion to accept ballots when it was evident who cast them, despite errors with the envelope or accompanying paperwork. Under the new guidance, election officials are directed not to count ballots returned with an unsealed inner envelope or when required signatures do not match.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Additionally, only voters, their near relatives, or legal guardians are permitted to return ballots for them to be counted.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Stacy Eggers, a Republican board member, stated, “This is simply guidance, updated guidance, I might add, as to what the board and staff at the county level will do and how they will process things.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">These changes were implemented after proposed permanent absentee voting rules faced procedural delays. A package of rules approved by the state Rules Review Commission in July encountered objections that led to a legislative review, preventing some from being enacted before the November elections, as state lawmakers will not reconvene until after the polls close.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The North Carolina State Board of Elections, which consists of three Republicans and two Democrats, opted to implement parts of the policy through memos to county election officials.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Democratic board member Siobhan Millen warned that the new rules could disenfranchise eligible voters, stating, “It may not affect you as you’re filling it out, but it affects whether your ballot counts — that’s huge. So, an effort to say this is just a process thing, I think is incorrect.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Governor Josh Stein (D-NC) criticized the decision, accusing the board of bypassing standard rulemaking procedures. He remarked on social media, “The State Board’s decision is a slap in the face to voters who stood up to these changes and a blatant circumvention of the law. North Carolina voters deserve transparency in their elections, not last-minute workarounds that could keep their vote from counting. I will continue to stand up for voters’ access to the ballot box.”</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">North Carolina’s 100 county election boards began sending absentee ballots on September 4, 2026, to initiate the 2026 general election. Completed civilian absentee ballots must reach county officials by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, November 3.</p>