CUBNSC- (North Carolina)- North Carolina was set to be the first state in the nation to send out 2024 general election ballots, but early voting is now officially on hold. This delay comes after the state's Republican-controlled Supreme Court granted third-party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s request to remove his name from the ballot, even though this request was submitted five days after the state's official deadline.
As a result, nearly three million ballots that were already printed must be destroyed, forcing election officials to miss a crucial state-mandated deadline and scramble to meet another one required by federal law. This court decision will shorten the early voting period, potentially affecting thousands or even millions of voters, including those who attended a massive rally led by Kamala Harris just yesterday.
Notably, this situation leaves former President Donald Trump without a third-party challenger on the North Carolina ballot, a development that comes as he remains tied in polls with Kamala Harris. For Harris, this is a significant achievement, considering that Barack Obama was the only Democratic presidential nominee to win North Carolina in nearly 50 years. The Harris campaign believes they can win the state, but only if voters are actually able to cast their ballots.
The State Board of Elections Responds
Following the order by the North Carolina Court of Appeals to remove Kennedy’s name from the ballots and print new ones, the State Board of Elections has filed an appeal with the North Carolina Supreme Court. While the Supreme Court considers the appeal, State Board staff will work through the weekend to begin coding new ballots without Kennedy's name and provide proofs of the new ballots for county boards of elections to review. This is no small task, as there are 2,348 different ballot styles statewide for the 2024 general election, and over 2.9 million ballots had already been printed before the Court of Appeals’ order.
The State Board has asked the Supreme Court for an expedited decision to avoid additional costs for counties that would be required to prepare and print new ballots. In North Carolina, county boards of elections are responsible for these costs.
Tight Deadlines and Voter Impact
Karen Brinson Bell, the state elections director, has instructed county election directors to ensure ballots are ready for absentee voters by September 21, the federal deadline for sending absentee ballots in a presidential election. Vendors have indicated it may take an additional 12-13 days to reprint the ballots. If this timeline cannot be met, the state may request a waiver to the federal deadline.
Bell also advised county officials not to send any ballots until a uniform date is determined for all counties, maintaining consistency for absentee-by-mail voters. Prior to the court ruling, the 100 county boards planned to send the first wave of ballots to absentee voters on Friday, which would have made North Carolina the first state to send out ballots for the November 5 general election. By Friday afternoon, more than 136,300 voters, including about 12,700 military and overseas voters, had already requested absentee ballots.
Voters who have already requested a ballot for the 2024 general election do not need to request a new one. However, if a voter needs their ballot sent to a different address, they should complete a new request form with the updated address. The county boards will process the new request and cancel the previous one.
The absentee ballot request deadline is 5 p.m. on Tuesday, October 29. Election officials encourage voters who wish to vote by mail to request their ballots early to ensure they are received and returned by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, November 5. Unlike previous elections, there is no grace period for ballots postmarked on or before Election Day; they must be received by the county board office by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. The cost for voters to mail back a ballot has increased to $1.77.
A Contentious Decision with Broad Implications
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to withdraw from the North Carolina ballot appears to be a transparent, partisan maneuver to aid Donald Trump, whom he has endorsed. Kennedy’s delayed request led to a 4-3 decision by the North Carolina Supreme Court, controlled by elected Republicans. The court accused the election board and its staff of misconduct, even though they had already begun the complex process of printing millions of ballots.
The State Board of Elections is racing to comply with the court order by purchasing special printers and allocating funds to reprint millions of ballots. This effort aims to meet the federal deadline of September 21, but it is already clear that the early voting period will be significantly shortened, potentially disenfranchising many voters.
Broader National Efforts to Impact Voting
This situation in North Carolina mirrors other efforts in states like Nevada and Pennsylvania, where Republicans are also pushing to limit mail-in voting and other methods that typically favor Democratic voters. In Pennsylvania, Republicans are attempting to nullify ballots with minor date errors, while in Nevada, Trump's lawyers are fighting to put Green Party candidate Jill Stein back on the ballot after her removal. These efforts appear designed to narrow Kamala Harris's margins or, in a close election, claim fraud and contest the results.
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