COLUMBIA, S.C.: A federal judge in South Carolina has struck down a rule requiring mail-in absentee ballots to be signed by witnesses for the upcoming November election, citing the severity of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a ruling Friday, U.S. District Court Judge J. Michelle Childs ordered the state Election Commission to immediately inform voters about the removal of the requirement. Childs said South Carolina voters would risk exposing themselves to COVID-19 if they voted in person, and that they could also expose the witnesses required to sign their ballots.
The evidence in the record points to the conclusion that adherence to the Witness Requirement in November would only increase the risk of contracting COVID-19 for members of the public with underlying medical conditions, the disabled, and racial and ethnic…