Judge rejects Democrats’ plea for early voting sites at 3 North Carolina universities

A federal judge has refused to help in attempts to open early voting sites at three public North Carolina universities. Democrats and students had requested the sites in Greensboro and Cullowhee ahead of the state’s upcoming primary. U.S. District Judge William Osteen wrote Sunday in part that they were unlikely to win on arguments that GOP-controlled election boards placed an undue burden on voting rights by omitting the sites. He also said that a change could create voter confusion when early in-person voting for the March 3 primary begins Thursday. The ruling can be appealed.