The nation's highest court has refused to reinstate North Carolina's voter ID requirement and restrictions on early voting.
Governor Pat McCrory asked the U.S. Supreme Court to temporarily allow North Carolina's 2013 voter restrictions to stay in place after a federal court invalidated them last month.
The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down several parts of the law, saying they were approved by legislators with intentional bias against black voters more likely to support Democrats.
The Supreme Court decision means voters won't have to show one of several qualifying photo IDs when casting ballots in the presidential battleground state. Early voting also reverts to 17 days.
Election officials already have been planning to comply with the appeals court decision.
According to rules, it would have required five votes to grant the stay.
The Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Anthony Kennedy, and Justice Samuel Alito would grant the stay, except with respect to the preregistration provision.
Justice Clarence Thomas would grant the stay in its entirety.