Va. Federal Judge Lifts Witness Signature Requirement for Certain Absentee Ballots During COVID-19 Pandemic

LYNCHBURG, Va. — A Virginia federal judge has approved an agreement that temporarily bars enforcement of the mail-in absentee ballot witness signature requirement for individuals who are at a higher risk of catching the COVID-19 virus.

In a May 5 order, Judge Norman K. Moon of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin concluded that the partial settlement “is fair, adequate, and reasonable.”

In Wisconsin, the absentee, mail-in ballots must be signed by the voter and, also, a witness who is an adult U.S. citizen. The ballot is rendered invalid without a witness signature.

In a March …