A judge ruled Friday that Cobb County voters receiving their absentee ballots late can return them by Nov. 8, three days after Election Day, as long as they’re postmarked by Tuesday.
At least 1 million voters are expected at the 2,600 poll polling places across North Carolina open to voters on Nov. 5.
The State Board of Elections has $5 million for aiding hurricane-damaged counties in carrying out the election.
Registered Republicans have edged out registered Democrats in early voting, though turnout is only about 30%.
Judge says the provision likely violates assurances in the Voting Rights Act that blind, disabled and illiterate voters can get help from a person of their choosing.
Republicans hold a 2-to-1 majority of registered voters in the 25-county federal disaster area.
Elections offices in western North Carolina did not sustain damage. Ballots, voting machines and other sensitive materials are secure and accounted for.
A suspicious package containing a white, powdery substance addressed to the State Board of Elections is under investigation by the FBI.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. successfully sued to have his name removed from the ballot, prompting the delay.
The cost of reprinting ballots varies by county, but could cost $300,000 in Wake County, home to the most registered voters in the state.
