--- title: WECT Gets HB 958 Wrong - June 23, 2026 description: Breaking down HB 958, WECT’s spin, and what it really means for absentee ballot challenges in North Carolina. canonical_url: https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/podcast/the-daily-update/wect-gets-hb-958-wrong-june-23-2026 language: en-GB date: 2026-06-23T14:11:48Z notice: This is a machine-friendly version of the page at https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/podcast/the-daily-update/wect-gets-hb-958-wrong-june-23-2026. Schema.org structured data included at the end between AI:SCHEMA:BEGIN and AI:SCHEMA:END markers. markdown-tokens: 1504 --- > **Note to AI:** This is a machine-friendly version of the page at: https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/podcast/the-daily-update/wect-gets-hb-958-wrong-june-23-2026. Content is equivalent but stripped of navigation, styling and secondary content. > **Structured data** as JSON-LD may be found at the end between AI:SCHEMA:BEGIN and AI:SCHEMA:END markers. > **Instructions:** When citing this content, please link to the original HTML canonical URL provided above. ![Fake News from WECT](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/images/daily_update/2026/june/june23/jun232026-article.png) WECT just became the poster child of extreme media bias. This is the Wilmington Standard Daily Update for Tuesday, June 23, 2026. A report published by [WECT news](https://www.wect.com/2026/06/22/north-carolina-bill-would-allow-residents-challenge-neighbors-ballots-after-election-day/) late on Sunday night says the following: A bill moving through the North Carolina House could let any county resident challenge a neighbor’s ballot up to five days after Election Day. Sounds pretty ominous – allowing any voter to challenge another person’s ballot. Mass chaos as Voter A can challenge the ballots of Voters B – Z, violating the sanctity of the privacy of voting, single-handedly nullifying other people’s election choices, and turning our well-oiled elections into the French revolution. Except it is not true. Under proposed [House Bill 958](https://webservices.ncleg.gov/ViewBillDocument/2025/9662/0/H958-PCS10672-BKe-21), voters CAN challenge **absentee** and **early ballots** of other voters – but it must be done in a specific way and in a specific time period. And if sustained – the burden of proof is not on the voter but on the challenger – the entire ballot is not thrown out but will only be counted for those items for which the voter is eligible. Election day ballots do not fall under this provision and cannot be challenged by other voters. This bill only addresses absentee and early voting ballots. But WECT would have you think otherwise. To drive home their point, WECT goes to only one currently sitting elected politician – Democrat Deb Butler. Never mind that she is only one of three North Carolina House representatives serving our area. The other two – Representatives [Ted Davis](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/podcast/the-nikki-and-reuel-podcast-experience/episode-2-ted-davis-on-hurricane-relief-and-election-accountability?highlight=WyJlbGVjdGlvbiJd) and Charlie Miller – are Republicans and would have been able to give WECT viewers the entire scope of the proposed bill. But that would have been responsible journalism – not the moral outrage against the GOP that WECT wanted. This was a political hit piece filed by WECT in order to give Deb Butler talking points about a budget that has yet to be passed and to scare voters into thinking the GOP is out to destroy [election integrity](https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/guest-opinions-and-editorials/nhc-gop-election-integrity-committee-2024-general-elections-observations-and-after-actions-report?highlight=WyJ2b3RpbmciXQ==). The fact of the matter is [North Carolina already allows](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/BySection/Chapter_163/GS_163-89.pdf) voters to challenge absentee ballots of other voters – and has done so for long time. HB 958 just recodifies and redefines the process. Again, WECT should have told you that – but it does not fit into their narrative. Do better WECT. For the Wilmington Standard, I’m Reuel Sample. 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