Old North News

More than 750 absentee ballots in North Carolina were discarded during the March 2024 primary election due to the removal of a grace period that previously accounted for mail delays. Voting rights advocates are urging state lawmakers to reinstate this three-day grace period for the upcoming general election.

The grace period, established unanimously by the North Carolina legislature in 2009, allowed absentee ballots postmarked on or before Election Day to be accepted up to three days after. However, a 2023 decision by the Republican-controlled legislature eliminated this safeguard, resulting in absentee ballots received after 7:30 p.m. on Election Day being disqualified.

Bob Phillips, Executive Director of Common Cause North Carolina, criticized the change stating, “The three-day grace period was a commonsense safeguard for North Carolina voters and was passed with unanimous, bipartisan support in 2009. The legislature’s decision last year to suddenly dismantle that safeguard hurts voters who rely on voting by mail to access the ballot box.”

In the recent primary election, over 1,125 absentee ballots were discarded because they arrived post-Election Day. More than 750 of these could have been counted under the previous grace period rule. The impact was felt across party lines with rejected ballots from registered Republicans, Democrats, and unaffiliated voters.

Phillips emphasized that discarding lawful votes due to mail delays is unjust: “Voting is our fundamental freedom as North Carolinians. It’s outrageous when a voter follows the rules but has their lawful vote thrown out because of a delay in mail delivery that’s no fault of their own.” He urged legislators to reinstate the grace period when they reconvene in April.

Common Cause NC is advocating for this change as part of its mission to uphold democratic values and ensure equal representation and participation for all citizens.