First US midterm ballots mailed amid fight over Trump’s voting order

North Carolina has commenced mailing out ballots for the upcoming midterm elections, proceeding as scheduled despite a legal dispute over stricter voting regulations imposed by President Donald Trump. The state's election board announced this development on X, with other states anticipated to follow suit in the days ahead. The controversy centers around Trump's administration's proposal to grant the United States Postal Service (USPS) a central role in the scrutiny of mail-in ballots.

This proposal mandates that states submit the design of their mail ballot envelopes for approval by the postal service. Furthermore, it stipulates that USPS would deliver ballots exclusively to individuals listed on the electoral rolls submitted by the states. Critics argue that these amendments are intended to complicate the mail voting process, potentially disadvantaging Democrats, whose constituents are predominantly more likely to utilize mail-in voting.