Supreme Court rejects second challenge to N.C. mail ballot deadline

Oct. 29 (UPI) -- The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a second challenge to an extension on North Carolina's deadline to count mail-in ballots.

The court voted 5-3 to reject a challenge by North Carolina Republicans to block the state election board's decision to extend the deadline to count mail-in ballots until Nov. 13.

Conservative justices Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito issued a dissent saying they would have granted the Republican request, as they did in response to a challenge by the Trump campaign on Wednesday.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who joined the court on Tuesday, did not participate in either ruling.

Republicans in the state effectively asked the justices to undo the action by the state board of elections to extend the deadline under its powers to address natural disasters in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Wednesday's ruling, Gorsuch and Alito described the board's decision as "constitutional overreach."

The Supreme Court also allowed Pennsylvania to extend its deadline to receive mail-in ballots to Nov. 6, but rejected a similar extension in Wisconsin.