North Carolina Absentee Ballots Must Have Witness Signatures, Judge Rules

A federal judge on Oct. 14 ruled that absentee ballots in the crucial battleground state of North Carolina are required to have a witness signature.

Ballots for the primary elections are arranged by party affiliation at the Lancaster County Election Committee offices in Lincoln, Neb., on April 14, 2020. Nati Harnik/AP photo

A federal judge on Oct. 14 ruled that absentee ballots in the crucial battleground state of North Carolina must include a witness signature.

District Judge William Osteen in Greensboro on Oct. 14 issued an injunction essentially prohibiting voters in the state from be able to “fix” an absentee ballot they had already sent in if it didn’t have a witness signature.