Federal judge loosens absentee rules for vulnerable voters

 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge says older Alabama voters at risk for contracting COVID-19 shouldn’t have to comply with all the state’s requirements for casting absentee ballots in November. 

U.S. District Judge Abdul K. Kallon ruled Wednesday that being forced to follow some provisions could wrongly endanger their lives. The decision came in a lawsuit filed on behalf of voters with health problems.

Kallon ruled that voters 65 and older who are more susceptible to the coronavirus shouldn’t be required to have a notary or two witnesses sign ballot affidavits or to submit a copy of a photo identification. And he says counties should be allowed to conduct “curbside voting" for those who need it.

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