Witness Signature No Longer Required on by Mail Ballots for June Primaries

COLUMBIA, S.C. (May 25, 2020) – As a result of a U.S. District Court order issued today, South Carolinians voting absentee by mail in the 2020 June Primaries and Runoffs are no longer required to have their signature witnessed on the ballot return envelope.  Election officials will accept and count all absentee ballots regardless of whether the envelope contains a witness signature, if otherwise valid.  Any ballots that may have already been returned without a witness signature will also be counted if otherwise valid. 

Voters are still required to sign and date the voter’s oath on the return envelope.  However, the “Signature of Witness” and “Address of Witness” spaces can be left blank.

The removal of the witness signature requirement applies only to the June 9 Primaries and June 23 Runoffs.

Click here for more on absentee voting.

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