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New court ruling: Witness signature required for absentee voters

All South Carolinians can vote absentee in the November 3rd election, but must have a witness signature on their ballots.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — All absentee voters in South Carolina must have a witness signature on their ballots, despite a ruling to the contrary last week. 

Last week, U.S. District Judge for South Carolina, Michelle Childs, struck down the requirement for the witness signature. However, on Thursday the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order reversing that ruling. 

The South Carolina Democratic Party and the DNC along with others, originally filed the lawsuit because they wanted the witness signature requirement removed. 

In response to the court of appeals’ decision, SCDP Chair Trav Robertson, Jr. said, "We believe that the witness signature requirement for South Carolina absentee ballots is a wholly unnecessary burden on people trying to vote safely. The Republicans are fighting common sense reforms to our voting system because they want to make it as hard as possible for South Carolinians to vote.”

RELATED: Making sure your absentee ballot counts

💡Reminder: All registered voters in South Carolina can vote absentee by mail or in-person in November's General Election. Learn more about your absentee options online: http://bit.ly/scVOTES_Absentee

Posted by South Carolina Votes on Thursday, September 24, 2020

The South Carolina Republican Party disagrees. Chairman Drew McKissick said, "We've fought hard for the witness requirement because it protects the integrity of our elections and so has the General Assembly. We're pleased the Fourth Circuit rejected the Democrats’ latest effort to try to change the law through the courts and create voter confusion on the eve of a presidential election."

Remember, all South Carolina voters are allowed to vote absentee in the General Election due to COVID-19.

RELATED: SC governor signs absentee voting expansion bill

According to the State Election Commission, 42,632 ballots have been issues so far. There are still approximately 260,000 voters that have applied and are still waiting on their a ballots. These numbers don’t include ballots for people in the military or overseas, because they never require a witness signature.

RELATED: 2020 Election Guide: Here's what you need to know

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