Washington Post: Supreme Court order on mail ballots in South Carolina sparks worries about voter confusion
Washington Post: Supreme Court order on mail ballots in South Carolina sparks worries about voter confusion
The Supreme Court’s order Monday that South Carolinians must have a witness sign their mail ballots this fall sparked voter confusion in the state and fears among voting rights advocates that the requirement could impede people from casting their ballots.
The high court said in a brief order that mail-in ballots must contain the signature of one witness, siding with state Republicans and reversing a lower court’s recent decision to waive that long-standing requirement in response to concerns about exposure to the coronavirus. …
As the fight has wound its way through the courts, state and local election officials alike have urged voters to obtain the signature of a witness just in case the requirement was reinstated.
Still, voting rights groups said they were worried that the Supreme Court decision would lead to greater health risks for voters who are turning to mail ballots for health reasons.
“The idea behind offering greater access to mail ballots during the pandemic is to allow people to have the choice to vote in a way that minimizes their risk of contracting covid,” said John Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, a voter-advocacy group that recently prevailed in its efforts to suspend a requirement for voters to obtain signatures from two witnesses or a notary for mail ballots in that state.