Election administration bill becomes law
RALEIGH — A North Carolina election administration bill became law Tuesday, extending several ballot cure deadlines and changing procedures for absentee ballots, provisional ballots, early voting equipment and court review of State Board of Elections decisions.
House Bill 834, titled “SBOE Administrative Changes,” became Session Law 2026-60 on Aug. 11, according to the North Carolina General Assembly’s session law listing. The measure was ratified Aug. 6 after clearing final legislative votes.
The new law extends several post-election deadlines from the third business day after an election to the fifth business day after an election. Those changes apply to voters correcting incomplete registration forms, curing missing signatures on provisional ballot affidavits, providing required photo identification in certain provisional ballot cases and curing some absentee ballot deficiencies.
The law also requires county boards of elections to publish the number of provisional ballots cast on Election Day, during early voting, by mail-in absentee ballot received as of Election Day and by military and overseas voters received as of Election Day.
Another section allows county boards to begin counting certain absentee ballots during specified hours on Election Day, but results may not be announced before polls close. The law makes it unlawful to knowingly reveal ballot-count results before the close of polls.
The measure also sets requirements for voting equipment used during early voting. After early voting ends, equipment must be rendered unable to receive additional votes associated with that early voting period. Paper ballots and electronic vote records must be stored securely before the initial count.
The law also changes venue rules for judicial review of State Board of Elections decisions. A person seeking review may file in Wake County Superior Court or in the superior court of the county where the person resides.
Some provisions take effect immediately, while others apply to elections held on or after specified dates.
Editor’s note:
This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.
