North Carolina can accept absentee ballots that are postmarked postmarked by 5 p.m. on Election Day until Nov. 12, a federal appeals court decided Tuesday in a 12-3 majority ruling.
Why it matters: The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling against state and national Republican leaders settles a lawsuit brought by a group representing retirees, and it could see scores of additional votes counted in the key battleground state.
What they're saying: "Several other provisions from the consent judgment remain in effect," Richard Fiesta, executive director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, which brought the suit, said in an emailed statement.
- "Voters can continue to submit their mail ballots curbside by providing their name orally, without waiting in line with other one-stop voters, thus alleviating long lines and potential exposure to COVID-19 and will be able to cure several ballot witness issues under guidance released by the North Carolina State Board of Elections."
The big picture: The coronavirus pandemic has seen the 2020 elections fight spill over into courtrooms, with the Supreme Court denying on Monday a request from Pennsylvania's Republican Party to shorten the deadlines for mail-in ballots in the key state.
- Battleground states where moves to extend deadlines were blocked by appeals courts are Georgia and Wisconsin.
- An extension to extend Michigan's absentee ballots was also blocked by an appeals court. Democrats in the battleground state have appealed the case to the Supreme Court.