2020 Election

Judge: North Carolina Absentee Ballots Must Have Witness Signatures

The judge's ruling reverses a previous decision by state officials that let voters fix a ballot that doesn't have a witness signature.

Judge: North Carolina Absentee Ballots Must Have Witness Signatures
Gerry Broome / AP
SMS

A federal judge ruled that absentee ballots in North Carolina must have a witness signature.

Judge William Osteen's ruling reverses a previous decision by state officials that allowed voters to fix a ballot that doesn't have a witness signature — without completely starting a new ballot.

The judge ruled he would allow voters to fix small problems without starting from scratch, including if their ballot is missing the witnesses' address or has their signature in the wrong place.