AK High Court Boots Witness Law For Absentee Ballots

The Anchorage Daily News reports:

Alaskans do not need to have a second person sign their absentee ballots, the Alaska Supreme Court said on Monday, confirming a lower-court decision.

A record number of Alaskans are voting absentee this year, and “improper or insufficient witnessing” has consistently been the top reason for rejected absentee ballots during the past few primary elections, according to Division of Elections statistics.

State law ordinarily requires absentee voters to sign their ballots and get the signature of a witness who is at least 18 years old, but a group of Alaskans sued last month to pause the witness requirement during the COVID-19 pandemic.