A controversial North Carolina law that makes it easier to throw out ballots is, for the moment, caught in limbo.
Bear with us: This is complicated, but important.
This year, Republicans passed a number of new voting rules over the veto of Gov. Josh Stein. One of them allows a simple majority on your local board of elections to toss a provisional ballot if a person cannot provide their voter ID and a majority on the elections board believes they’re lying about the reason.
Before, it would have required a unanimous vote of the board to throw out the ballot.
Republicans hold a 3-2 majority on every county election board. This year’s law potentially opens the door for those county GOP majorities to toss ballots for purely partisan reasons, rather than having to convince the Democrats on the county board too.
On a recent episode of PBS North Carolina’s “State Lines,” Cardinal & Pine Senior Newsletter Editor Billy Ball said that throwing out any ballot is a major decision. And it should require all the Republicans and Democrats on the board to do it, or the public will believe it’s being done for political reasons.
However, this controversial rule might not be in place for the 2026 elections. At least 10 people objected to the change as it made its way through the state Rules Review Commission, an administrative committee that translates laws into official rules for state agencies.
Under NC law, 10 written objections at the Rules Review Commission means the NC legislature would have to return to session to push it through anyway. Lawmakers have said they aren’t coming back until after Election Day, leaving this controversial change up in the air.
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Video via PBS North Carolina. Scroll down to watch the full episode.
