With Election Day exactly six weeks away, one key swing state is getting the process rolling Tuesday, Sept. 24. North Carolina has started to send out absentee ballots to voters who requested them.
The North Carolina State Board of Elections received more than 200,000 requests including almost 20,000 from military and overseas voters. Those ballots to military members actually went out late last week, electronically.
State law had directed the first absentee ballots to be distributed earlier this month. However, things became complicated and delayed.
The withdrawal of Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from the presidential race turned into a court matter. Appeals court judges prevented ballots that contained his name from going out, because Kennedy wanted his name removed. He has since endorsed former President Donald Trump.
Elections offices statewide were forced to print new ballots and redo absentee voter packets. Those mail-in absentee ballots must be received by 7:30 p.m. on election night. Military and overseas voters have different rules and deadlines.
North Carolina is a swing state with 16 electoral votes. Donald Trump won the state in both 2020 and 2016. A recent New York Times/Siena College poll shows Trump with a slight two point lead over Vice President Kamala Harris. As a result of the tight race, both candidates have spent time campaigning in the state.
