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Circular "I voted today" stickers lie on top of light blue surgical masks -

A Minnesota judge has waived the witness signature requirement for mail-in ballots in the state for the November election.

Ramsey County District Judge Sara Grewing’s ruling eliminated the requirement that voters have a notary or witness sign the envelope in which they mail their ballot, according to CNN

The ruling also expanded the deadline for absentee ballots, allowing them to be counted if they are postmarked on or before Election Day and received by 8 p.m. within a week of Election Day, CNN reported. Previously, ballots had to be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.

Judge Grewing made her ruling based on an increased volume of mail-in ballots expected due to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as delays at the U.S. Postal Service, SouthernMinn.com reported. 

Monday’s ruling followed a lengthy Friday hearing that involved two lawsuits from groups concerned about preserving voters’ rights in light of the pandemic, according to SouthernMinn.com.

As election administrator, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon agreed with Judge Grewing’s ruling; however, President Donald Trump’s campaign and the Republican Party of Minnesota said it invited voter fraud in the November election.

Judge Grewing determined it was reasonable that plaintiffs pursuing the issue could be successful in their claim that the witness requirement is a violation of Minnesota’s Equal Protection Clause.

“By requiring voters who live alone to place their lives and health in danger in order to exercise their fundamental right to vote, it is reasonable to conclude that the Witness Requirement impermissibly and irrationally denies the fundamental right to vote to those individuals while there is still ongoing community transmission of COVID-19,” Judge Grewing wrote in the ruling.

Stay-at-home orders were issued in Minnesota in March, the ruling says. The governor’s state of emergency declaration has been extended multiple times, with the most recent extension currently set to expire this month.

In addition, the Minnesota Department of Health has urged all state residents to stay home, adhere to social distancing guidelines and avoid large public gatherings, calling the transmission of COVID-19 “particularly effective” in indoor gathering spaces.

Minnesota flag painted on horizontal wood panels - mail-in ballots

However, despite those measures, 56,560 Minnesotans have tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 1,600 have died, according Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data cited in the ruling. 

Voting by mail is becoming increasingly popular because many people do not want to wait in line at polling stations, facing long wait times and potentially exposing themselves to COVID-19.

Judge Grewing’s ruling drew the praise of the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

NAACP Minnesota-Dakotas Area State Conference president William Jordan Jr. called the ruling “a step in the right direction that places voters and constituents at the center of elections,” according to CNN.

And ACLU staff attorney Theresa Lee said the decision was a “sensible solution” and “a victory for Minnesotans who can’t risk exposure to COVID-19 in order to secure a signature on a ballot.”

Lawsuits have been filed across the country as plaintiffs seek what they see as the most equitable way to conduct this year’s presidential election in light of the pandemic.

Simon was named as the defendant in a class action lawsuit that accused him of backing a bill putting undue restrictions on mail-in ballots.

The plaintiffs claim Simon backed a bill that would allow for an entirely vote-by-mail election due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The lead plaintiff in that case said the bill would have disenfranchised Minnesota voters because of the witness requirement and because of the Election Day deadlines in place before Judge Grewing’s decision.

While there is no evidence that mail-in voting leads to voter fraud, CNN reported, Trump claims a prevalence of mail-in voting would cast doubt on the results of the November election.

He had even spoken briefly about potentially delaying the election.

“I want to have the election. But I also don’t want to have to wait for three months and then find out that the ballots are all missing and the election doesn’t mean anything,” Trump said at a recent news conference. “That’s what’s going to happen.”

“Mail-in ballots will lead to the greatest fraud,” he contended.

The Court denied a request that would have required mail-in ballots to be sent to all registered Minnesota voters, saying it was more appropriate that that decision be made in the Legislature, SouthernMinn.com reported. 

Minnesota voters may request absentee ballots online or at a local election office.

Do you agree with the decision to remove the witness requirement for mail-in ballots? Do you plan to vote by mail? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

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3 thoughts onMinnesota Mail-In Ballot Voter Witness Requirement Dropped

  1. Thomas Johnson says:

    Gee, no chance of fraud here. I’d be worried if it weren’t for how honest our politicians are. Who needs honest elections anyway. Hey, maybe Hillary should run again. Bet she would win by a landslide this time.

  2. Jill Kramer says:

    No need for witness

  3. The One says:

    There is simply no need to change the system this late in the game. Any registered voter can request a absentee ballot and have their vote both counted and verified. Sending out random ballots to everyone simply invites voter fraud on a massive scale as seen in NYC and Patterson NJ. This is unacceptable.

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