New Republican Rules Increase Mail Ballot Rejections

 By Mildred Robertson

Since Republicans took over North Carolina’s election board last year, they have changed the rules to make it harder to vote early. New rules empower local Republicans to block certain voters and throw out ballots on party-line votes. These changes come ahead of November’s midterm elections amid heightened unease among Democrats over election administration.

As tensions mount in this key battleground state, Republican voter-suppression efforts threaten to dampen an apparent blue wave. Polls favor Democrat Roy Cooper to win the governor’s race and help lift other Democratic candidates across the state.

Democrats worry that stricter mail-in-voting rules approved by the Republican-led North Carolina State Board of Elections are increasing absentee-ballot rejections. Democratic Governor Josh Stein warns that the changes are “leading to thousands more absentee ballots being rejected this election” and says the rejection rate is about twice the 2022 level. In hotly contested North Carolina races, even a modest increase in rejected mail ballots could affect the outcome.

The midterm election is the first statewide test of new absentee-voting rules instituted by The Republican-ruled State Board of Elections. Voters must seal their completed ballot in an inner envelope, place that envelope inside an outer mailing envelope, and include a copy of an acceptable ID in an exterior sleeve. In previous elections, county elections offices accepted sealed mail ballots with unsealed inner envelopes.

Another rule change limits who may assist absentee voters with their ballots to “near-relatives.” Voting Rights groups fear that these new rules may lead to the rejection of thousands of ballots.

If you vote by mail, check your ballot’s status or vote in person to ensure your vote counts. If your ballot contains an error, you may correct it within the designated time limit. With election margins expected to be razor-thin, both the governor’s mansion and a Senate seat that could help determine control of the chamber are at stake. Given North Carolina’s potential role in deciding control of Congress in the 2026 midterms, the stakes could not be higher.

You may track your absentee-by-mail ballot status by signing up online for status notifications through Ballot Trax. Anyone with a rejected ballot can contact their county elections office to find out how to correct the issue. By tracking your ballot and fixing any errors, you can ensure your vote counts.