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UpdateNorth CarolinaSaturday, October 24, 2026

Buncombe County rejected 45 absentee ballots for return errors

Election officials rejected ballots not returned correctly and are mailing replacements to affected voters.

Reporting by
WLOS local news
“10 hours ago Buncombe County warns absentee ballot mistakes can void votes; 45 rejected so far Buncombe County election officials say 45 absentee ballots have been rejected because they weren’t returned correctly.”, Saturday, October 24, 2026
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What happened

Buncombe County election officials rejected 45 absentee ballots because they were not returned correctly. Twenty-four of those ballots were sent back in unsealed envelopes. The rejected ballots were out of more than 2,000 already submitted from the over 7,000 requested.1

Officials are mailing replacement ballots to affected voters, who can either return the new ballot or vote in person during early voting or on election day.1

45
absentee ballots rejected in Buncombe County1
24
ballots sent back in unsealed envelopes1
more than 2,000
absentee ballots already submitted1
What it means in North Carolina

What voters with rejected ballots can do

Voters who receive replacement ballots can return the new ballot by mail or vote in person.1 Absentee ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.2

Key dates in North Carolina

Election Day in 7 days
  1. Fri, Oct 9 · passed
    Registration deadline
  2. Thu, Oct 15 · passed
    Early voting begins
  3. Tue, Oct 20 · passed
    Last day for mail ballot applications
  4. Tue, Nov 3 · 7 days
    Election Day; Mail ballots must arrive
  5. Fri, Nov 13 · 17 days
    County/Local certification
  6. Thu, Dec 10 · 44 days
    State certification

Every date in North Carolina, and who certifies the election

The answers behind this
Mail and early votingVoting in North Carolina, 2026How are votes counted and certified in North Carolina?When does a mail ballot have to arrive to count?

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Sources

  1. WLOS local news, https://wlos.com/news/local/absentee-ballot-mistakes-void-votes-rejected-buncombe-county-western-north-carolina-community · Saturday, October 24, 2026
  2. Vote.org, North Carolina Election Center, https://www.vote.org/state/north-carolina/

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