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Hundreds of Mecklenburg County mail-in ballots rejected under new rule
By Nick de la Canal
October 22, 2026 at 2:51 PM EDT
Hundreds of Mecklenburg County mail-in ballots have been rejected because voters didn't properly seal an envelope inside another envelope.
Mecklenburg County Elections Director Michael Dickerson told WFAE that as of Wednesday, 259 ballots had been rejected for that reason. Of those, just 60 voters had successfully cast replacement ballots or voted early in person.
The rejections are tied to a new requirement approved last month by the Republican-controlled State Board of Elections. It stipulates that voters must seal not only the outer envelope of their mail-in ballot, but also an inner envelope containing the ballot itself.
In previous elections, if a voter forgot to seal the inner envelope, election officials could still accept the ballot as long as the outer envelope was properly sealed.
Now, if a voter forgets to seal the inner envelope, election officials must reject the ballot, and voters must submit a new absentee ballot — or vote in person — for their votes to count.
The board approved the new guidance by a 3-2 party line vote on Sept. 4 — the same day the state began sending out absentee ballots. The board also approved a new rule requiring election officials to verify that a voter's signature matches their name.
A coalition of voter advocacy groups and voters filed a lawsuit over the new requirements last month, arguing they would "inevitably disenfranchise" voters. On Monday, a federal judge declined to block the changes.
Election officials cite 'security,' as ballot rejections rise
Reached by phone, State Board of Elections spokesperson Jason Tyson told WFAE the new sealing requirement is intended to provide an additional layer of security against possible ballot tampering.
"It's a matter of securing and making sure the voter's intention is clear," Tyson said.
Asked how someone could tamper with a ballot that arrived in a sealed outer envelope, Tyson did not provide a specific example. In a follow-up email, he said someone other than the voter could theoretically open the outer envelope, alter the ballot inside an unsealed inner envelope, and then reseal the outer envelope.
Across North Carolina, mail ballot rejections have increased under the new guidance.
Statewide, roughly 3.1% of absentee ballots have been rejected so far this election, compared with 2.6% at the same point during the 2022 midterms, according to the State Board of Elections. Those figures include ballots rejected for reasons other than unsealed envelopes.
When any absentee ballot is rejected, local election officials say they attempt to contact the voter by phone and email, and immediately send a replacement ballot to the voter's address.
But voting rights groups are concerned some voters may not realize their ballots have been rejected, or run out of time to vote again — especially as Election Day nears.
Another new rule in this election requires North Carolina absentee voters to return completed ballots to county election offices by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Previously, ballots postmarked by Election Day could arrive up to three days later and still be counted.
'A solution in search of a problem'
Brooks Fuller, policy director for Common Cause North Carolina, criticized the new inner envelope-sealing rule as a "solution in search of a problem."
"No one can point to real, credible evidence that failure to seal that inner envelope is anything other than a harmless oversight on behalf of the voter," Fuller said.
Several voting rights organizations and voters sued the State Board of Elections last month, arguing the new requirement could disenfranchise otherwise eligible voters.
But on Monday, U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder declined to temporarily block the changes, saying it would be impractical to change the rules after voting had already begun.
Democratic Gov. Josh Stein also criticized the changes, urging North Carolinians to vote in person if possible.
"It's infuriating," Stein wrote in a social media post Tuesday. "North Carolinians, please make a plan to vote this year, in person if possible. And if you're voting by mail, make sure you seal both envelopes on your ballot."
Mecklenburg County Elections Director Michael Dickerson told WFAE that as of Wednesday, 259 ballots had been rejected for that reason. Of those, just 60 voters had successfully cast replacement ballots or voted early in person.
The rejections are tied to a new requirement approved last month by the Republican-controlled State Board of Elections. It stipulates that voters must seal not only the outer envelope of their mail-in ballot, but also an inner envelope containing the ballot itself.
In previous elections, if a voter forgot to seal the inner envelope, election officials could still accept the ballot as long as the outer envelope was properly sealed.
Now, if a voter forgets to seal the inner envelope, election officials must reject the ballot, and voters must submit a new absentee ballot — or vote in person — for their votes to count.
The board approved the new guidance by a 3-2 party line vote on Sept. 4 — the same day the state began sending out absentee ballots. The board also approved a new rule requiring election officials to verify that a voter's signature matches their name.
A coalition of voter advocacy groups and voters filed a lawsuit over the new requirements last month, arguing they would "inevitably disenfranchise" voters. On Monday, a federal judge declined to block the changes.
Election officials cite 'security,' as ballot rejections rise
Reached by phone, State Board of Elections spokesperson Jason Tyson told WFAE the new sealing requirement is intended to provide an additional layer of security against possible ballot tampering.
"It's a matter of securing and making sure the voter's intention is clear," Tyson said.
Asked how someone could tamper with a ballot that arrived in a sealed outer envelope, Tyson did not provide a specific example. In a follow-up email, he said someone other than the voter could theoretically open the outer envelope, alter the ballot inside an unsealed inner envelope, and then reseal the outer envelope.
Across North Carolina, mail ballot rejections have increased under the new guidance.
Statewide, roughly 3.1% of absentee ballots have been rejected so far this election, compared with 2.6% at the same point during the 2022 midterms, according to the State Board of Elections. Those figures include ballots rejected for reasons other than unsealed envelopes.
When any absentee ballot is rejected, local election officials say they attempt to contact the voter by phone and email, and immediately send a replacement ballot to the voter's address.
But voting rights groups are concerned some voters may not realize their ballots have been rejected, or run out of time to vote again — especially as Election Day nears.
Another new rule in this election requires North Carolina absentee voters to return completed ballots to county election offices by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Previously, ballots postmarked by Election Day could arrive up to three days later and still be counted.
'A solution in search of a problem'
Brooks Fuller, policy director for Common Cause North Carolina, criticized the new inner envelope-sealing rule as a "solution in search of a problem."
"No one can point to real, credible evidence that failure to seal that inner envelope is anything other than a harmless oversight on behalf of the voter," Fuller said.
Several voting rights organizations and voters sued the State Board of Elections last month, arguing the new requirement could disenfranchise otherwise eligible voters.
But on Monday, U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder declined to temporarily block the changes, saying it would be impractical to change the rules after voting had already begun.
Democratic Gov. Josh Stein also criticized the changes, urging North Carolinians to vote in person if possible.
"It's infuriating," Stein wrote in a social media post Tuesday. "North Carolinians, please make a plan to vote this year, in person if possible. And if you're voting by mail, make sure you seal both envelopes on your ballot."