North Carolina kicks off voting with new ballot rules
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios
Welp, it's here.
- On Friday, North Carolina became the first state in the U.S. to mail voters their 2026 general election ballots.
Why it matters: North Carolina voters who still need to register or update their information should make a plan now.
- Oct. 9 is the final day to mail in registration paperwork for most people.
- During early voting — Oct. 15 through Oct. 31 — voters who stop by in person can register or update their information on the spot.
- Election Day is on Nov. 3. Only properly registered voters can cast ballots that day. Mail-in ballots must be delivered by 7:30pm.
State of play: As the clock ticks down, tugs-of-war over mail-in ballots are unfolding at the federal and state levels.
- The Trump administration this year ordered the U.S. Postal Service to take new precautions against non-citizen voting. Key provisions are being largely blocked by the courts, though the Supreme Court could intervene next week, NPR reports.
- A whistleblower said the screening mechanism USPS developed could affect thousands of legitimate voters.
The latest: Meanwhile in Raleigh, the State Board of Elections approved stricter rules on mail-in voting on Friday.
- The Republican measure passed hours before counties began to mail ballots to military and overseas voters.
Zoom in: New rules include instructions not to count mail-in ballots that arrive with the inner envelope unsealed or with a signature that doesn't match, according to The News & Observer.
- The changes were kept secret before Friday morning's vote, per WRAL.
What they're saying: Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, called the changes "a slap in the face to voters… and a blatant circumvention of the law" in a statement Friday.
- "Elections officials are focused on doing the job securely, accurately and professionally and making sure voters have the information and support they need," the state's Republican elections director Sam Hayes said, according to the Carolina Journal.
- Both Stein and Hayes have encouraged voters to mail absentee ballots as soon as possible, and to track their ballots' progress using the state website.
The bottom line: On ballots this midterm are constitutional amendments; seats in the U.S. Senate, Congress and North Carolina General Assembly; and plenty of positions in the court system and local governments.
- Make sure your voice is heard.