Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Sep 4

North Carolina Board Tightens Mail Voting Rules, Making 1 Unsealed Ballot Grounds for Rejection

Updated

Updated · The New York Times · Sep 4

North Carolina Board Tightens Mail Voting Rules, Making 1 Unsealed Ballot Grounds for Rejection

Q: Could asking a trusted neighbor to deliver your ballot suddenly violate North Carolina's tightened election laws?

Yes. Under North Carolina’s updated absentee-ballot guidance, a trusted neighbor generally may not return your mail ballot for you unless you qualify for a disability-related assistance exception. The revised rules narrow ballot delivery to the voter, a near relative, or a legal guardian. “Near relative” is defined broadly but does not include an ordinary neighbor or friend. That means a ballot hand-delivered by a neighbor could now fall outside the permitted return methods. There is an important exception for voters with disabilities. Because of an earlier court ruling that remains reflected in current guidance, a voter who needs assistance returning an absentee ballot because of a disability may choose another person to help, including someone who is not a relative. The other major tightening is about sealing the ballot materials. County officials may reject ballots returned in an unsealed ballot container envelope, and that problem generally cannot be cured later with paperwork. If time allows, the ballot may need to be spoiled and a new one issued. For most voters, the safest course is to return the ballot yourself, mail it directly, or have a near relative or legal guardian deliver it. Ballots also can be returned in person at a county board office or an early voting site, and they must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Voters are being urged to return ballots early and track them through BallotTrax.

Q: Will a simple glue failure on an envelope permanently cost you your vote in the upcoming North Carolina election?

Not necessarily, but it could if it is not caught in time. Under North Carolina’s updated mail-ballot guidance, county election workers may reject a ballot if the required ballot container envelope is returned unsealed. That kind of defect is generally treated as non-curable, meaning officials cannot simply accept a follow-up form or signature to fix it after the fact. In many cases, the original ballot would have to be spoiled and a new absentee ballot issued, if there is still enough time. So if the envelope glue fails and the ballot arrives unsealed, your vote is at risk. It is not automatically a permanent loss if county officials discover the problem early enough: they may contact you, spoil that ballot, and send a replacement, or direct you to vote in person if time remains. But if the defect is found too close to or on Election Day, there may be no time to replace it by mail, and that ballot may not count. There is one limited exception in the guidance. If an envelope appears opened and resealed but is returned inside a properly sealed outer envelope, county officials may contact the voter to attest to how it was sealed. Also, an unsealed outer return envelope alone does not necessarily disqualify the ballot if the inner ballot container envelope is properly sealed. The practical advice is to seal the ballot carefully, return it early, and track it through BallotTrax so you can respond quickly if a problem is flagged.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 4

North Carolina's elections board voted 3-2 along party lines to tighten vote-by-mail rules Friday, hours after counties began sending out the nation's first mail ballots for the fall election.
The changes require officials to disqualify ballots returned in unsealed envelopes and narrow who may drop off a mail ballot for another voter, making it easier for counties to discard ballots.
Republican board members said the rules were needed for ballot security and election integrity, echoing President Trump's repeated claims of widespread mail-voting fraud.
Because Democrats have used mail voting more heavily than Republicans in recent years, the new restrictions are expected to fall harder on Democratic voters in the midterm election.