By admin 
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — North Carolina’s top elections official on Thursday said the state is prepared to start mailing absentee ballots on Friday, the first in the nation to do so.
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State Board of Elections Executive Director Sam Hayes said the board will finalize guidance for county boards at its meeting Friday, but that voters will not be impacted.
“It’s business as usual,” he said. “Our message there is very simple. Our state and county election officials are prepared. Our systems have been tested and reviewed. Our staff are ready to support counties, and we will continue to monitor any developments that could affect North Carolina voters.”
Hayes said the state board staff have reviewed and approved absentee and in-person ballots, which have a new security feature.
“There’s a new security box that will appear on county ballots, and that marking will prevent ballots from being improperly processed through an early voting or Election Day tabulator,” he said.
In a post on X, made Thursday night, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein said voters needed more transparency from the state board of elections.
“Tomorrow morning, the state will send voters their absentee ballots. The very same morning, the State Board of Elections will vote on memos that the public has not seen that could change how election administrators do their jobs,” Stein’s post reads. “This State Board has had more than a year to plan for this year’s election, and administering elections is its only job. Voters need transparency from Dave Boliek’s Board of Elections so they can have faith in our elections process.”
Updated guidance for counties on absentee ballots
The State Board of Elections will consider updated guidance for counties regarding absentee ballots on Friday. This comes after all 15 permanent election rules approved by the Rules Review Commission were delayed pending legislative review.
Hayes said the delay means existing guidance, known as numbered memos, that would have been replaced by the new rules now needs to be reviewed and updated. Numbered memos are directives approved by the State Board that provide binding guidance to county boards on how elections are administered.
“There are times when we must provide guidance to the counties in the absence of those rules,” he said. “We are moving through the rulemaking process to get them out of a numbered memo status and into formal rule. With the delayed effective date of some of those rules, those numbered memos that would have been superseded by the rules now need to be reviewed and updated.”
Hayes said the focus of Friday’s meeting will be guidance for counties on how to handle absentee ballots as they come in. He would not go into detail about what could change when the State Board meets Friday, but stressed he does not expect voters to be affected.
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“I do not anticipate any changes having any impact on voters or on the process as counties are using as absentee voting begins tomorrow,” he said.
Federal lawsuit over new USPS election system
The state is also closely watching a separate federal court fight over a new U.S. Postal Service election mail system. A federal judge is considering whether to extend a temporary block on new USPS requirements that include an online portal for election officials to submit voter and ballot information.
Hayes said North Carolina has not independently reviewed the new system or received anything in writing from USPS about its implementation.
“These are active legal proceedings, and we will allow the courts to resolve them. Our responsibility is to monitor those developments and make sure that North Carolina counties have clear guidance if anything changes. We will not speculate about the outcome of ongoing litigation,” he said.
But Hayes said the envelopes North Carolina counties will use have already been approved by USPS and the state is moving forward with Friday’s mailing as planned.
“North Carolina is in a very good position,” Hayes said. “We have already been in consultation with the Postal Service.”
What voters need to know
Hayes urged absentee voters not to wait until the last minute to mail their ballots. Absentee ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on Election Day, but voters also have the option to drop them off in person at an early voting site or county board during early voting.
“Make sure you get your request in early. Make sure you fill out the ballot. And when you receive it, follow all instructions and get it in early because there is no grace period. Don’t take any chances,” he said.
CBS 17 asked Hayes about the most common mistakes voters should avoid.
“Placing the ballot in the wrong envelope, failing to seal the envelope, failing to provide the photocopy of the voter ID in the sleeve as required. Failing to get the requisite witness signatures. Just make sure that you carefully follow the instructions,” he said.
Other deadlines to remember:
- Voter registration deadline: October 9th at 5 p.m.
- In-person early voting: October 15 to October 31st at 3 p.m.
- Deadline to request an absentee ballot: October 20th at 5 p.m.
- Election Day: November 3rd, with absentee ballots required to be received.
“This is important. They must be received, not just postmarked, must be received by the county board on Election Day by 7:30 p.m., by the time the polls close,” Hayes said
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