SCSJ Warns USPS Rule Violates North Carolina Law

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Melissa Boughton

DURHAM, N.C. (Sept. 3, 2026) — Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) sent a letter today to the North Carolina State Board of Elections warning that compliance with the U.S. Postal Service’s new “Ballot Mail for Federal Elections” rule would violate multiple provisions of North Carolina law.

The letter flags several provisions of the North Carolina General Statutes that directly conflict with the directives in the USPS Final Rule and preclude the State Board from complying with it absent a court order. These include state laws protecting the confidentiality of absentee ballot requests and guaranteeing the delivery of absentee ballots without interference.

Read the full letter here.

The letter comes as the State and County Boards of Elections prepare for the Sept. 4 deadline to begin processing absentee ballots for the Nov. 3 General Election.

Southern Coalition for Social Justice came together in 2007 to give Black, Brown, and low-income people better resources in the fight for justice across the South. We are lawyers, social scientists, and communications professionals working to dismantle racism and oppression in the criminal legal system, in our environment, and at the ballot box. Learn more at southerncoalition.org and follow our work on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.