The sentencing of Donald Trump in his New York hush money case has been delayed until November 26 following a request from his legal team, as reported by several US news outlets. 

Initially set for September 18, the postponement comes just weeks after the upcoming presidential election, in which Trump is battling Democrat Kamala Harris in a contested race.

"This is not a decision this Court makes lightly but it is the decision which in this Court's view, best advances the interests of justice," New York State Supreme Court judge Juan Merchan wrote in the decision handed down Friday.

Read more: Trump requests US Supreme Court to annul guilty hush-money verdict

Trump's conviction in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records stems from hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels in an effort to prevent her from disclosing an alleged affair on the eve of the 2016 election.

The former president's sentencing had previously been pushed back from July after the US Supreme Court ruled that former presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution.

Trump's legal team is also seeking to have his conviction dismissed, with Judge Merchan set to rule on the motion on November 12.

Gearing up for the debate

This legal reprieve comes as Trump and Harris gear up for their first televised debate next week, marking a critical juncture in the presidential race.

Meanwhile, Trump continues to address his legal woes in public, recently delivering remarks in New York where he denied multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, including claims from writer E. Jean Carroll.

Read more: Harris beats Trump in US voter support by 5%: Poll

In another twist to the election, a North Carolina state appeals court has temporarily halted the distribution of mail-in ballots, which were scheduled to go out to 130,000 voters.

The move follows a last-minute lawsuit from independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is seeking to have his name removed from ballots after dropping out and endorsing Trump.

North Carolina, a crucial swing state, is one of several key battlegrounds that both Trump and Harris have been visiting as they prepare for what is expected to be a race decided by razor-thin margins.

Early in-person voting is set to begin across most states starting September 20, with Trump scheduled to speak in North Carolina later Friday.