A federal judge has rejected efforts to open early voting sites at three North Carolina public universities, declining to overrule decisions made by Republican-controlled elections boards ahead of the state’s March 3 primary.

U.S. District Judge William Osteen denied requests from the College Democrats of North Carolina and several students for a preliminary injunction or temporary restraining order. The plaintiffs argued that GOP board decisions placed undue burdens on students’ right to vote. Osteen, a George W. Bush nominee, noted that formally supporting the new sites so close to the election could risk voter confusion. His ruling can be appealed.

The lawsuit targeted decisions by the state board and county boards in Jackson and Guilford counties to exclude early voting sites at Western Carolina University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and North Carolina A&T State University, the largest historically Black university in the country. Western Carolina has hosted early voting since 2016, while the Greensboro campuses have typically only had sites during presidential elections, not midterms.

Lawyers for the boards argued that there is no legal requirement to maintain sites used in previous elections and said their decisions were based on practical considerations such as parking access and past voter turnout. The plaintiffs had claimed that without on-campus sites, students would face added travel and costs, disproportionately affecting young and first-time voters.

Early in-person voting begins Thursday and covers races for U.S. Senate and House, the state legislature, and local offices. Same-day registration is available at existing early voting sites throughout the state.