U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) “What we’re talking about is mailing them to everyone on the voter list,” he argued on CNN, “when everyone knows those voter lists are inaccurate. Of those states, 25 provide voters notice and opportunity to verify their identity when there are signature discrepancies. Harris Suspends Travel After Staffer Tests COVID-19 Positive, Apprehensions at Southern Border Decreased by Nearly Half from Last Year 2019, CBP Says. Can a redo be held for a presidential election? What happens if there is a tie in the Electoral College? Thirteen states did not specify whether someone may return another's ballot. Articles about potential scenarios in the 2020 election, U.S. Supreme Court actions affecting the November 3, 2020, general election, When can states begin processing and counting ballots, Election results certification dates, 2020. Who pays for recounts and election challenges? Are results reported on election night coming from in-person or absentee/mail-in votes? Eighteen states either do not have signature matching laws or do not practice signature matching on a regular basis. Imagine living in a rural community and living alone where that wouldn’t an option. Rhode Island has completely eliminated this requirement for November, and in North Carolina, only one witness is required instead of two. “The law does not require voter signatures to be legible,” the rule continues. How close does an election have to be to trigger an automatic recount? A short time later, a federal lawsuit was filed asking for the required witness signature on an absentee ballot to be waived due to coronavirus concerns. To our knowledge, at least 31 states have active signature matching laws (or interpret their signature verification laws to require signature matching) for absentee ballot verification. The 2020 election took place against a backdrop of uncertainty. The mass move to mail-in voting has led to a litany of logistical and procedural issues over the last several months, including many involving signature-match problems. What are the reasons to call a redo election? JUST IN: Supreme Court orders absentee witness signatures to be REINSTATED. States with witness requirements may require that the witness be a notary. Witness Signature Required for Mail-In Ballots. However, several changed their laws to make it easier for voters to cast ballots remotely and avoid the risk of contracting the virus, leaving the total now at eight, including Alabama, Alaska, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Eight states will require voters to get at least one witness to sign their mail-in ballot this November. In a chaotic primary season in New Jersey, there were reports of residents receiving ballots for their dead parents and hundreds of Republicans receiving Democratic primary ballots. States also generally require voters to include their signature on the ballot envelope, which can be matched against information from voter rolls to verify their identity. [4], Twelve states limit the number of ballots one individual may collect and return. What happens if candidates declare victory in the 2020 election before results are final? A court order allowing registered Minnesota voters to skip getting a witness signature on their mail-in ballot for next week’s primary election will be extended to the November general election, and this is the way we prevent that from happening. In Wisconsin in 2016, for example, President Trump’s margin of victory over Hillary Clinton was just 0.77%, while in Pennsylvania it was 0.72%. Both Rhode Island and North Carolina -- a battleground state -- typically require either two witnesses or one notary to sign voters' absentee ballots. Ballots received through October 7 will be accepted without a witness signature. What are the steps and deadlines for electing the President of the United States? Who serves in a state or local government if election results are unknown? Each jurdisction has different remedies if you leave a signature off the mail-in ballot. In New York and New Jersey this year, for instance, thousands of primary ballots were thrown out due to mismatched signatures. Five states that have historically been competitive in presidential races — North Carolina, Iowa, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire — do not require signature-matching for mailed voting forms. Or living alone and being afraid to let someone in because we’re in a pandemic. Some states permit voters to correct disputed signatures either before the election or up until several days after it. Next question: How do election workers match signatures? Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia practice signature matching and allow voters to remedy mismatches. What happens if a presidential nominee becomes incapacitated before the election? Many states with signature-matching laws dictate that voters must be contacted about any disputed ballots in order to be given the opportunity to correct them. Prior to voting in favor of a witness requirement, Oklahoma state Rep. Chris Kannady (R) said, "The worse thing that you can do is fraudulently vote . But multiple lawsuits are pending to remove witness requirements because of the pandemic. ... “You do not have to have a witness in order to sign your ballot,” Haynes said. Explore Billionaires For the 2020 general election, seven states have a witness requirement for absentee/mail-in ballots, with one of those states requiring that the witness be a notary. Pundits more broadly argue that voting fraud in the U.S. is comparatively rare and not likely to influence the results of a presidential election one way or the other. Any absentee ballot submitted after Oct. 7 must have a witness signature. 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