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UpdateNorth CarolinaWednesday, October 21, 2026

North Carolina rejected more mail ballots after stricter rules

What the rejection rate shows and what voters can do when a ballot is rejected.

Reporting by
WRAL
“More NC mail-in ballots are being rejected. What voters can do about it”, Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Read the full story
What happened

North Carolina mail-in ballots are being rejected at a higher rate after the State Board of Elections implemented stricter absentee voting rules. Preliminary data shows a spoiled ballot rate of 3.1 percent in 2026 compared to 2.6 percent at the same stage in 2022. Rejections stem from envelope errors such as an unsealed inner envelope, a ballot placed in the wrong envelope, or two voters sharing one outer envelope.1

Voters with rejected ballots can still correct them.1

3.1 percent
spoiled ballot rate in 20261
2.6 percent
spoiled ballot rate at the same stage in 20221
What it means in North Carolina

What North Carolina voters with rejected ballots can do

Absentee ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day.2

Key dates in North Carolina

Election Day in 6 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 · 6 days
    Election Day; Mail ballots must arrive
  5. Fri, Nov 13 · 16 days
    County/Local certification
  6. Thu, Dec 10 · 43 days
    State certification

Every date in North Carolina, and who certifies the election

More on this story
North Carolina · Oct 25
Buncombe County rejected 45 absentee ballots for return errors
Reporting by WLOS local news
North Carolina · Oct 25
North Carolina governor's claim about mail ballot rejections contradicted by data
Reporting by WRAL
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?

Explore this issue

OverviewUpdates In depthNorth Carolina governor criticized new mail ballot rules after rejections doubled In depthDOJ considering lawsuits to force states to investigate noncitizens on rolls In depthTwo Democratic lawmakers say they expect Trump to claim foreign meddling In depthTrump administration raised concerns about Chinese parts in voting machines In depthFormer Maricopa County recorder asked Supreme Court to drop voter ID case In depthThree non-citizens charged with voting illegally in federal elections In depthMichigan clerk tried to remove voters; state said process broke the law In depthFederal prosecutors urged Central Florida voters to report fraud In depthLegal group filed complaint over duplicate voter records in North Carolina In depthBexar County voters reported voting machine selection problems In depthWisconsin election officials divided over federal agents at polls In depthEarly voting began in Michigan for the November 2026 election

Sources

  1. WRAL, https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiyAFBVV95cUxORk56TVBlMkk2aVV3UENXeG96bnVwYng1S2N5bDlrQWt3R29McnZ2NUZmM1NPc1l5R08tOC16TnEzX0RUN0JRR2lHdkNTNk5kdGtjejk1U3BTUWlrbGI5T0ZQZ25VVk1Jc2tiUlZ3Nmc2ZkxPcC0ybWtWMkdIYVZtbnJWSTVUajFjX0dZeTBPYkdpVEJ3RGZjNTEydDNpTW5qaXNYR0lrM1hEQ2lYYmd1ejloV1NiSmJNZTB4Y1Q3d01BSlVnOFppLQ?oc=5 · Wednesday, October 21, 2026
  2. Vote.org, North Carolina Election Center, https://www.vote.org/state/north-carolina/

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