Judge Upholds Stricter North Carolina Mail-In Ballot Rules

U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder ruled on Monday that stricter mail-in ballot standards in North Carolina will remain in effect for the upcoming midterm elections. The decision denied a preliminary injunction sought by left-of-center activist groups, including the North Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans and North Carolina Asian Americans Together, who argued the rules could disenfranchise voters.

The contested standards, approved by the North Carolina State Board of Elections in September, allow officials to disqualify ballots if the inner envelope is not properly sealed or if signatures do not match the application. Judge Schroeder determined that the plaintiffs delayed their lawsuit and that altering rules while early voting is already underway is infeasible.

Governor Josh Stein condemned the changes as a "blatant circumvention of the law." Conversely, the state board maintains the measures are necessary to ensure a secure process. Current data shows a significant decline in mail-in ballot requests compared to 2022, with the decrease being particularly notable among Democratic voters.