States that require absentee ballots to be notarized or signed by witnesses + previews our look at all 50 states prior to Election Day
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Welcome to the Friday, September 25, Brew. Here’s what’s in store for you as you start your day:
* Looking at witness signature and notary requirements for absentee and mail-in ballots
* New series starts on Monday: 50 states in 25 days
* Candidate Connection spotlight
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** DESIGNING YOUR TEMPLATE
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As we discussed in the Brew earlier this week ([link removed]) , 38 states have made changes to their general election procedures ahead of the 2020 elections. WE’RE TRACKING THOSE CHANGES TO HELP YOU—OUR READERS—HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO CAST YOUR BALLOT IN THIS YEAR’S ELECTION.
Election officials in many jurisdictions are preparing for large numbers of absentee and mail-in ballots. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the five permanently inhabited U.S. territories offer absentee/mail-in voting to at least some voters (i.e., those meeting specific eligibility requirements, such as disability or illness). In this year's general election, all but seven of those states (and three territories) allow any voter to vote by mail.
Twelve states generally require voters who cast their ballots by mail to obtain the signature of a witness or notary in order for their vote to be counted.
Six states have suspended, reduced, or otherwise modified their statutory or regulatory witness or notary requirements.
* Minnesota
* North Carolina (reduced from two witnesses to one)
* Oklahoma (voters can submit copies of their identification in lieu of having their ballots notarized)
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* Virginia
The other six states still require voters using absentee or mail-in ballots to obtain the signature of a witness or notary in order to process their ballot.
* Alabama: Two witnesses or one notary
* Alaska: One witness
* Mississippi: Notary or other officer authorized to administer oaths
* Missouri: Notary or other officer authorized to administer oaths
* North Carolina: One witness
* Wisconsin: One witness
Witness signature and notary requirements have been the subject of litigation throughout 2020. States may make further changes to these procedures as the general election approaches.
You can also learn more about voting deadlines and requirements in your state by regularly checking our Voting in 2020 ([link removed]) page.
Learn more ([link removed])
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** NEW SERIES STARTS ON MONDAY: 50 STATES IN 25 DAYS
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New series starts on Monday: 50 states in 25 days
From September 28 through November 2, the Brew will be spotlighting two states per day, in order of when the states held their primaries. Each day, we’ll provide information that a voter in the state would want to know and interesting facts about each state.
WE’LL TELL YOU WHAT RACES ARE ON THE BALLOT, SUMMARIZE THE STATE’S CURRENT PARTISAN BALANCE, HIGHLIGHT ANY STATEWIDE BALLOT MEASURES AND BATTLEGROUND RACES, AND PROVIDE VOTING INFORMATION FOR THAT STATE.
We’ll also take you beyond the basics, providing background and context on what’s happening in each state for everyone across the country watching these races. And you’ll be in the know as we head towards Election Day on November 3.
It’ll be an informative journey from coast to coast in a little over a month.
I’m excited for it to start, and I hope you are, too.
Up first: Alabama and Arkansas
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** CANDIDATE CONNECTION SPOTLIGHT
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Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey asks people who are running for office questions about what they stand for, what’s important to them, and what they want to do if elected. We designed it to help voters gain insights about their candidates as people and learn how each feels about various topics.
We invite all candidates with a profile on Ballotpedia to complete our survey. On Fridays, we’ve been including selected responses we’ve received this cycle to certain questions.
Here’s a look at the last three survey questions we've highlighted:
* What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official? ([link removed])
* What was the last song that got stuck in your head? ([link removed])
* What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? ([link removed])
This week’s question is: WHO DO YOU LOOK UP TO? WHOSE EXAMPLE WOULD YOU LIKE TO FOLLOW, AND WHY? We received 1,962 responses so far, and here are some selected ones:
_“I look up to my parents and try to follow their example. They both worked hard throughout their lives to build a future for our family. My father was a first-generation college student. My mother went to law school when many women did not go. They found a way to balance their work while always making my sister and me feel like their top priority.”_
-Jon Hoadley ([link removed]) , Democratic candidate for Michigan's 6th Congressional District
_“I greatly admire President Theodore Roosevelt. His 'Arena Speech' are words that I live by to this day. 'It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.'”_
-Greg Raths ([link removed]) , Republican candidate for California's 45th Congressional District
_“Senator Margaret Chase Smith was a family friend who represented Maine in Congress. In her first term in the Senate, she gave a historic speech later known as "Declaration of Conscience" standing up to McCarthyism or red-baiting in Congress. In it she affirmed the rights of people to "hold unpopular opinions" and dared McCarthy to call her un-American for doing so. For this reason, MCS is my hero."_
-Lisa Savage ([link removed]) , Independent candidate running for the U.S. Senate from Maine
If a candidate hasn't yet responded to our survey, send them this link and ask them to complete it. We’ll include their responses on their profile so we can all learn more about them.
Learn more→ ([link removed])
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