North Carolina Deadline For Absentee Ballots Remains After SCOTUS Decision

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that North Carolina will allow absentee mail-in ballots to be received and counted until November 12, nine days after Election Day. The previous deadline only counted ballots three days past Election Day. Absentee ballots must still be postmarked by Election Day.

In a 5-3, the nation's highest court chose not to overturn a ruling by the North Carolina Board of Elections that extended the deadline for absentee ballots because of the coronavirus pandemic. Two of the court's conservative justices, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, joined the court's liberal justices in the majority opinion.

The newest Justice Amy Coney Barrett did not participate in the decision. Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said this was "because of the need for a prompt resolution and because she has not had time to fully review the parties' filings."

The November 12 deadline extension received backlash from many state and national Republican groups, WXII reports, arguing that it changed legislators' constitutional authority to set election rules. Other state leaders saw the SCOTUS ruling as a win.

"North Carolina voters had a huge win tonight at the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court upheld the State Board of Elections' effort to ensure that every eligible vote counts, even during a pandemic," said State Attorney General Josh Stein, whose office had defended the deadline extension in court. "Voters must have their mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day, but now we all have certainty that every eligible vote will be counted. Let's vote!"

For questions about voting and elections in North Carolina, visit the Board of Elections website here.

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