South Carolina GOP Asks Supreme Court to Restore Ballot Witness Rule

(Bloomberg) -- South Carolina Republicans asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate a requirement that a witness sign absentee ballots, in a case that could set the tone for a barrage of calls for the justices to intervene in next month’s election.

The filing Thursday seeks to block a federal judge’s order that lifted the signature requirement because of the Covid-19 outbreak. A federal appeals court refused to stay the order, prompting the GOP to turn to the nation’s highest court.

The Supreme Court is already weighing a request to block a Pennsylvania court order that would allow the counting of mail-in ballots received up to three days after Election Day, even if they don’t have a clear postmark showing they were mailed by the Nov. 3 deadline.

The legal challenges come as states are wrestling with how to conduct voting during the coronavirus pandemic. A significant increase in the number of mail-in ballots are expected nationwide.

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