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Federal judge allows North Carolina mail-in ballot rules to take effect
By WFAE staff and wire reports
October 20, 2026 at 10:51 AM EDT
A federal judge declined to block North Carolina’s new mail-in ballot rules from taking effect, ruling that it would be “infeasible” to do so because voting has already begun.
The Raleigh News & Observer reports U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder, an appointee of President George W. Bush, issued the 72-page ruling Monday evening, less than a week after hearing arguments in the case.
The plaintiffs, a group of advocacy organizations that included the North Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans, challenged last-minute changes to how mail-in ballots are processed. They argued the changes would “inevitably disenfranchise” voters.
The Raleigh News & Observer reports U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder, an appointee of President George W. Bush, issued the 72-page ruling Monday evening, less than a week after hearing arguments in the case.
The plaintiffs, a group of advocacy organizations that included the North Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans, challenged last-minute changes to how mail-in ballots are processed. They argued the changes would “inevitably disenfranchise” voters.