Skip to content

PoliticsDeveloping

Judge declines to block North Carolina’s changed mail-in ballot rules for November

By

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 3 outlets across the spectrum.

4 articles in total, 1 of them opinion. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Hand holding a mail ballot over a United States Postal Service tray stacked with envelopes.
Image via The New York TimesHow images are chosenReport this image

A federal judge on Monday denied a request to block North Carolina’s stricter mail-in ballot rules, so the changes the State Board of Elections approved in September stay in place for November’s midterm election, The Hill and the Washington Examiner report. The Hill reports that the judge wrote it was too close to the election to change the rules again. The New York Times reports that county election officials have rejected ballots over issues such as an unsealed inner envelope, and that voting rights groups are urging voters to fix their ballots or vote in other ways.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. A federal judge on Monday denied a request to block North Carolina’s stricter mail-in ballot rules.

    Reported byCenter1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Center
    The Hill
    Right
    Washington Examiner

  2. The judge wrote that it was too close to the election to change the rules again.

    One outletThe Hill· Center

  3. The State Board of Elections approved the changes in September, shortly before mail ballots were sent out.

    Reported byCenter1Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Center
    The Hill
    Right
    Washington Examiner

  4. Reports say county election officials have rejected ballots over issues such as an unsealed inner envelope.

    One outletThe New York Times· Left

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • The new rules threaten thousands of mail ballots.

    The New York Times reports county rejections of ballots under the rules and advocates’ urging of fixes; the Washington Examiner and The Federalist describe the changes as Republican-backed rules a court let stand and as election safeguards.

How each side tells it

Compare views

The right and center report that a judge let North Carolina keep its mail-in ballot rules for November, while the left reports county rejections under them. The right calls the ruling a win for Republicans over Democratic-affiliated challengers, while the left calls the rules a threat to mail voters.

  • the left

    1 outlet

    The New York Times headline frames the rules as a threat to voters, using county ballot rejections as its evidence rather than the court ruling.

    New Rules in North Carolina Loaded verb“Threaten”The headline states as fact that the rules endanger ballots, a judgement the supplied text does not establish; the text reports rejections and groups urging fixes.More neutral: AffectDisagree with this highlight? Thousands of Mail Ballots
    The New York TimesLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    1 outlet

    The Hill’s headline states the ruling neutrally: the rules remain through the midterms after a judge’s decision.

    North Carolina mail-in ballot restrictions to remain through midterms, judge rules
    The HillCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet · 1 opinion

    Right headlines present the ruling as a win for Republicans over Democratic-affiliated challengers; the Federalist, a far-right outlet, goes further with an opinion headline that calls them shenanigans.

    Federal judge Loaded verb“sides with Republicans”Describes a judicial ruling as partisan alignment, which the judge’s stated reasons do not say.More neutral: denies request to blockDisagree with this highlight? on North Carolina’s new mail-in ballot restrictions
    Washington ExaminerRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left1

    Threaten

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right6

    sides with Republicansleft-wingerswater downelection integrity

In the outlets’ own words

  • Loaded verb

    sides with RepublicansMore neutral: denies request to block

    Describes a judicial ruling as partisan alignment, which the judge’s stated reasons do not say.

    Federal judge sides with Republicans on North Carolina’s new mail-in ballot restrictions

    Used byWashington Examiner (Right)

  • Loaded modifier

    left-wingersMore neutral: the plaintiffs

    Labels the plaintiffs by politics in a way that pre-judges them.

    The RNC and the North Carolina GOP stopped a last-minute attempt by left-wingers to water down election safeguards.

    Used byThe Federalist (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    water downMore neutral: change

    Assumes the rule change weakened safeguards, which is the contested point.

    The RNC and the North Carolina GOP stopped a last-minute attempt by left-wingers to water down election safeguards.

    Used byThe Federalist (Far Right)

  • Partisan shorthand

    election integrityMore neutral: voting safeguards

    A name one side uses for its position on voting rules, which assumes the conclusion.

    …two weeks ahead of next month’s midterms, the GOP was coming fresh off a big election integrity victory.

    Used byThe Federalist (Far Right)

Show 3 more phrasesShow fewer

  • Loaded verb

    FoilsMore neutral: blocks

    Presents a court ruling as a scheme defeated by one side.

    GOP Foils Dems’ Election Integrity Shenanigans In North Carolina

    Used byThe Federalist (Far Right)

  • Sensational language

    ShenanigansMore neutral: actions

    Mocking word that adds ridicule instead of describing the ruling.

    GOP Foils Dems’ Election Integrity Shenanigans In North Carolina

    Used byThe Federalist (Far Right)

  • Loaded verb

    ThreatenMore neutral: Affect

    The headline states as fact that the rules endanger ballots, a judgement the supplied text does not establish; the text reports rejections and groups urging fixes.

    New Rules in North Carolina Threaten Thousands of Mail Ballots

    Used byThe New York Times (Left)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

1 outlet

Leads with

  • Ballots rejected over envelope issues
  • Voting rights groups urging fixes
  • Threat to mail voters
See the headline from the leftHide the headlines
  • The New York TimesLeft

    New Rules in North Carolina Loaded verb“Threaten”The headline states as fact that the rules endanger ballots, a judgement the supplied text does not establish; the text reports rejections and groups urging fixes.More neutral: AffectDisagree with this highlight? Thousands of Mail Ballots

    County election officials have rejected ballots for such issues as an unsealed “inner” envelope. Voting rights groups are urging voters to fix their ballots or vote in other ways.

    Read at The New York Times (opens in a new tab)

From the center

1 outlet

Leads with

  • Rules stay in place for midterms
  • Timing of the September changes
  • Judge’s reasoning about proximity to the election
See the headline from the centerHide the headlines
  • The HillCenter

    North Carolina mail-in ballot restrictions to remain through midterms, judge rules

    A federal judge ruled Monday that North Carolina is permitted to keep its strict mail-in ballot rules in place for November’s election, which were changed just before ballots were mailed in September. In the ruling, Judge Thomas D. …

    Read at The Hill (opens in a new tab)

From the right

1 outlet · 1 opinion

Leads with

  • Republicans prevailing in court
  • Challenge by Democratic-affiliated groups
  • Safeguards against last-minute changes

Leaves out

  • County rejections of mail ballots over envelope issues

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • Washington ExaminerRight

    Federal judge Loaded verb“sides with Republicans”Describes a judicial ruling as partisan alignment, which the judge’s stated reasons do not say.More neutral: denies request to blockDisagree with this highlight? on North Carolina’s new mail-in ballot restrictions

    A federal judge on Monday denied an attempt to block stricter standards for mail-in ballots in North Carolina, marking a blow to Democratic-affiliated efforts to reverse Republican-backed changes to the election process made earlier this year. …

    Read at Washington Examiner (opens in a new tab)
  • The FederalistFar RightOpinion

    GOP Loaded verb“Foils”Presents a court ruling as a scheme defeated by one side.More neutral: blocksDisagree with this highlight? Dems’ Partisan shorthand“Election Integrity”A name one side uses for its position on voting rules, which assumes the conclusion.More neutral: voting safeguardsDisagree with this highlight? Sensational language“Shenanigans”Mocking word that adds ridicule instead of describing the ruling.More neutral: actionsDisagree with this highlight? In North Carolina

    The RNC and the North Carolina GOP stopped a last-minute attempt by Loaded modifier“left-wingers”Labels the plaintiffs by politics in a way that pre-judges them.More neutral: the plaintiffsDisagree with this highlight? to Loaded verb“water down”Assumes the rule change weakened safeguards, which is the contested point.More neutral: changeDisagree with this highlight? election safeguards.

    Read at The Federalist (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    1 day 3 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 21, 5:18 PM EDT

  • Center

    3 hr 26 min later

    Its first report, Oct 20, 5:39 PM EDT

  • Right

    First to report

    Washington Examiner, Oct 20, 2:13 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Washington ExaminerRightOct 20, 2:13 PM EDT
  2. The HillCenterOct 20, 5:39 PM EDT
  3. The New York TimesLeftOct 21, 5:18 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

Read next

Help someone else find the truth beneath the surface

Most people see one side of a story. Share this one, so they can see how every side is telling it and decide for themselves.

Email it

Seen a mistake? Tell us what is wrong with this page