Absentee and mail-in ballots can no longer be rejected in South Carolina due to signature mismatch. Passed by a federal judge, voters no longer have to worry that their ballot will be tossed out if there are any issues regarding the signatures on their ballots. Under this ruling, any ballots that were previously rejected due to signature-related issues will now be reviewed and re-processed by the state of South Carolina.
“As a result of today’s ruling, voters in this critical election now do not have to worry that their vote may be disqualified by a claimed mismatch of signatures,” said Christe McCoy-Lawrence, co-president of the League of Women Voters of South Carolina. “This decision is a significant win for voter confidence in a year when the COVID-19 pandemic has upended our elections with rule changes, delays, and massive surges in mail voting. This ruling erases the uncertainty voters might feel about whether their absentee ballot signature may not exactly match a previous one on record.”
“We are pleased with today’s decision and the effective and sensible relief ordered by the court,” said John Powers, an attorney with the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. “It is common sense that South Carolina counties should not be employing signature matching procedures for absentee ballots that are contrary to South Carolina law and violate the U.S. Constitution. Election officials are not experts at reviewing signatures.”