# Mail Ballot Rejections Rise Under GOP Rules > North Carolina's mail voting rules cause more rejected ballots than 2022. - Title: Mail Ballot Rejections Rise Under GOP Rules · Newsweek - Summary: North Carolina's mail voting rules cause more rejected ballots than 2022. North Carolina's new mail voting rules lead to higher ballot rejections than 2022… - Keywords: north carolina, gop, mail ballot, ballot rejection, election rules, josh stein, democracy docket, common cause north carolina, tennessee, dolly parton, roy cooper, michael whatley - Source: Newsweek — https://newsweek.com/mail-ballot-rejections-tick-up-under-gop-backed-rules-in-north-carolina-12605177 - Published: 2026-10-22T16:00:44+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: north carolina, gop, mail ballot, ballot rejection, election rules, josh stein, democracy docket, common cause north carolina, tennessee, dolly parton, roy cooper, michael whatley ## North Carolina Governor Warns North Carolina Governor Josh Stein says new Republican-backed voting rules are causing more rejected mail ballots than in 2022. > It’s infuriating, north carolinians, please make a plan to vote this year, in person if possible. ## State Board Reports Slight Increase State Board of Elections spokesperson says preliminary data shows only a slight increase in spoiled ballot rates compared to 2022. > Preliminary state board data shows a slight increase in spoiled ballot rates in 2026 (3.1%) compared to 2022 (2.6%) at this stage in each election ## New Voting Rules Require Sealed Envelopes New rules require voters to place completed ballots in sealed inner envelopes before outer envelopes and limit who can assist with ballots to 'near-relatives'. > a requirement that voters place their completed ballot inside a sealed inner envelope before placing it inside an outer envelope ## Democracy Docket Reports High Rejection Rates Democracy Docket reports some Democratic areas in North Carolina see absentee ballot rejection rates as high as 7 or 8 percent. > some democratic strongholds in north carolina are seeing absentee ballot rejection rates as high as 7 or 8 percent ## Common Cause Data Shows 3 Percent Rejection Common Cause North Carolina data shows 3 percent of ballots rejected statewide, double the 2022 rate of 1.5 percent. > ballots were so far being rejected at a rate of around 3 percent ## Estimated Ballots Thrown Out If 3 percent of ballots are rejected statewide, about 3,942 ballots would be thrown out. > if 3 percent of ballots statewide are rejected it would mean about 3942 ballots thrown out ## Wake County Reports 2.5 Percent Rejection Wake County Board of Elections reports 2.5 percent of absentee ballots rejected due to unsealed inner envelopes. > 2.5 percent of absentee ballots were being rejected because voters had failed to seal the inner envelope ## Voter Advice for Mail Ballots Voters are advised to seal both envelopes on mail ballots and ensure proper witnessing to avoid rejection. > make sure you seal both envelopes on your ballot don’t let them take away your vote ## North Carolina Senate Race Michael Whatley, a Trump ally, faces Roy Cooper in a critical Senate race for North Carolina. > he will face whatley a staunch trump ally and former republican national committee chairman ## Dolly Parton Reports Voting Issues Dolly Parton's sister Stella reported trouble casting her ballot in Tennessee due to voting machine errors. > i finally called over a poll worker when my ballot kept flipping to the wrong candidate on the third try ## Key takeaway North Carolina's new mail voting rules lead to higher ballot rejections than 2022, with 3.1% rejected this year versus 2.6% in 2022.