The US state of North Carolina has begun sending out mail ballots for November’s midterm elections as planned despite an ongoing legal battle over tighter voting rules ordered by President Donald Trump.
The state election board said on X on Friday that the first ballots were being sent out, with other states expected to follow in the coming days.
A legal dispute is continuing over rules pushed by the Trump administration that would give the US Postal Service (USPS) a central role in checking mail-in voting.
Under the changes, states would be required to submit the design of their mail ballot envelopes to the postal service for approval. USPS would also deliver ballots only to voters listed on electoral rolls provided by the states.
Last week, a judge in Boston issued another preliminary injunction against Trump’s plans, arguing that they were unlikely to succeed and would infringe on states’ constitutional authority to run elections.
Republicans say the measures are needed to prevent voter fraud, although they have provided no evidence of widespread fraud. Critics say Trump is seeking to make mail voting more difficult and thereby disadvantage Democrats, whose supporters are disproportionately likely to vote by mail.
It remains unclear what would happen to ballots already cast if courts later allow Trump’s rules to take effect.
About one-third of the Senate and the entire House of Representatives are up for election in the November 3 midterms.
With Republicans holding narrow majorities in both chambers, individual seats could determine control of Congress.
