Crucial North Carolina Extends Deadline for Ballot Counting
North Carolina Agrees to Count Mailed Ballots Until Nov. 12
(Bloomberg) -- North Carolina election officials agreed to count all ballots received by Nov. 12 as long as they’re postmarked by Election Day, giving another boost to Democrats in a critical state and resolving a lawsuit brought by a group representing retirees.
The state also agreed on Tuesday to set up ballot drop-off stations and to allow North Carolina voters to correct errors on mailed-in ballots, according to a copy of a consent decree posted online by the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Marc Elias, who also represents national Democrats in related suits.
The accord is the latest victory for Democrats, who have sued in crucial swing states to expand access to mail-in ballots and extend deadlines for them to be counted.
The retiree group alleged that the usual Election Day deadline was an unconstitutional burden on the right to vote in light of the coronavirus pandemic, which is spurring a record increase in absentee ballots as voters avoid long lines and crowded polling places. Election Day is Nov. 3.
Republican groups and President Donald Trump’s campaign have filed suits of their own or intervened in cases to keep tighter restrictions in place and limit the use of ballot drop boxes, with mixed results. The president has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that the surge in mail-in voting during the pandemic will lead to massive fraud and a “rigged” election.
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