copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2024-01-01): Any registered North Carolina voter can request a mail-in absentee ballot. This type of absentee voting allows a voter or a near relative or legal guardian to request that an absentee ballot be sent to the voter by mail. The voter may vote the ballot and return it to the county board of elections by the ballot return deadline. [...] Witnesses - In the presence of one Notary Public or two witnesses, the voter should mark the ballot, or if the voter is unable to mark the ballot, shall cause it to be marked according to the voter's instructions. [...] Court Order Regarding Assistance for Absentee Voters with Disabilities - The following individuals are prohibited from serving as a witness on an absentee ballot:
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2024-07-16): North Carolinians will vote in November on whether to amend the state constitution to clarify that only citizens can cast ballots, after the state legislature passed a measure late last month to punt the issue to voters. [...] Between the lines: Already, only citizens are allowed to vote in North Carolina, and whether or not a majority of voters approve the amendment in November won't change that. [...] "The main amendment that we wanted to see pass was the non-citizen voting," House Speaker Tim Moore said, per WRAL.
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2021-03-17): - There is no standard procedure for counties in North Carolina to verify witness signatures or information: the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) leaves this to the discretion of the county boards. Furthermore, this is true of all other states that require witness signatures on absentee ballots. [...] - Although North Carolina county boards of elections do check that a signature and address for the witness is listed on the absentee ballot certification field, they are practically and functionally unable to verify the accuracy of that information in decisions over whether to accept or reject the ballot. Historically, some select North Carolina counties did verify the signatures of the voter, but not the witness, prior to clarifying guidance from the NCSBE. - Across states, the only standardized procedures for verifying signatures exist for the voter themselves. The states that require a notary or witness signature on absentee ballots include: Alabama, Alaska, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2024-01-01): A notary public or two witnesses must observe you marking your ballot (but not how you vote). Place the completed ballot in the envelope provided to return it to your county board of elections. [...] Witness / Notarization Requirements [...] - Two Witness Signatures: Witnesses Must Be At Least 18 Years Old - Notarization
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2022-11-08): This article lists each state's absentee/mail-in ballot signature and witness requirements for the November 8, 2022, general election. For additional information about absentee/mail-in voting, see this article.[1] Absentee/mail-in voting signature and witness requirements by state The table below summarizes the signature and witness requirements for absentee/mail-in ballots for the November 8, 2022, election.
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2020-07-31): The following is a statement from the State Board of Elections office about the security of absentee voting by mail in North Carolina, updated in September 2022: [...] - In 2022, voters must vote their ballot in the presence of two witnesses or a notary public. Witnesses must sign the absentee return envelope, certifying that the voter marked their ballot and is the registered voter submitting the ballot. [...] - Many people are watching North Carolina’s absentee voting process, including candidates, political parties, county boards of elections, political and data scientists and the media. If there are anomalies or questionable activities, they will be reported to election officials.
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2020-09-04): States verify mailed ballots in different ways. For example, Alabama requires a copy of the voter’s ID to be included and either two witnesses older than 18 or a notary public must sign the envelope in addition to the voter. In Maine, a signature by the voter on the envelope is compared to the signature on the absentee ballot application. Likewise, Colorado uses bipartisan teams who compare the signature on every ballot to ones the state has on file for every registered voter.
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2024-01-01): Registered voters in North Carolina must request an absentee ballot with an official NC Absentee Ballot Request Form. There are two ways to access and submit the form: [...] - Mark your ballot in the presence of a notary public or two witnesses. Your notary public or two witnesses should observe that you mark the ballot, not how you vote. [...] - Alternatively, you may have the application certified by one notary instead of two witnesses.
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2020-04-23): PolitiFact looks into the claim that North Carolina is in the small minority of states that requires two witnesses to sign an absentee ballot.
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2020-04-10): "North Carolina is in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public," they wrote in an April 10 op-ed on Medium.com. [...] North Carolina is one of eight states that requires a witness to sign a voter’s absentee ballot, and one of only three states that requires the ballot to be signed by two witnesses if a notary isn’t available. The other states are Alabama and Rhode Island. [...] State Senators Marcus and Chaudhuri said "North Carolina is in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public."
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2020-09-17): During the primaries, states varied in the efforts they took to expand access to absentee or mail voting in light of the pandemic. The majority of states that did not already have expansive mail voting options on the books took significant steps to expand access to absentee voting for the primaries, the general election, or both, although there were notable exceptions.footnote2_0hyrfqsmxo6d5DmivapyhzCQwbgrGtBjcJU7G1Cwuc_yY9UShyf0Dcz2See "Changes to Election Dates, Procedures, and Administration in Response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic, 2020," Ballotpedia, accessed July 22, 2020, https://ballotpedia.org/Changes_to_election_dates,_procedures,_and_administration_in_response_to_the_coronavirus_(COVID-19)_pandemic,_2020#Absentee_voting_procedure_changes. Some states, like Connecticut, Delaware, and Nevada, took especially robust steps. A handful of states, including Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas, made few or no changes to their voting procedures to promote increased absentee voting. Among the minority of states that have not willingly expanded access to mail-in voting, several have been compelled to do so by courts. [...] See "Changes to Election Dates, Procedures, and Administration in Response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic, 2020," Ballotpedia, accessed July 22, 2020, https://ballotpedia.org/Changes_to_election_dates,_procedures,_and_administration_in_response_to_the_coronavirus_(COVID-19)_pandemic,_2020#Absentee_voting_procedure_changes. - footnote3_vXXlLmAqKDoxqsw09T45NzZsuz69oytZyy8QBO9ns_kIaBPzTxFYy5 3 [...] A number of cases involve both vote-by-mail and in-person voting issues.
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2020-06-17): On top of the very practical reality that many voters do not have the scanner, copier, or printer at home that would be required for them to create and submit a hard copy of their ID, such policies also place unnecessary burdens on Black and brown voters, who possess government-issued photo IDs at lower rates than white voters, as they attempt to cast their VBM ballots. Further, government office closures make it practically impossible for voters who either do not have an ID or whose ID is expired to obtain current, compliant IDs. Additionally, in some states voters are required to have one or multiple witnesses sign their voted VBM ballot, and in a few places that signature must come from a notary public. These policies disadvantage people who live alone or with young children (those under the age of 18 are unable to serve as witnesses), who in at least some states are more likely to be Black and brown. [...] - Eliminate requirements that a witness or notary sign a voter’s ballot before it is valid, so that people who live or are quarantining alone are not endangered or disenfranchised. The voter’s signature alone should suffice.
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2023-06-22): North Carolina is joining a group of Republican-led states that are imposing new restrictions on voting and exerting legislative control over elections boards. [...] In North Carolina, Republicans want to shorten the window for timely return of mailed absentee ballots and require signature verification and two-factor authentication for those ballots. North Carolina now requires two witness signatures or the signature of a notary public for absentee ballots. If the law passes, North Carolina would be the only state to require both signature verification and witness signatures, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2023-10-23): LaCour is currently defending an Alabama law that requires voters to sign an absentee ballot in the presence of a notary or two witnesses, requires a photo ID to apply for an absentee ballot, and prohibits curbside voting at polling places in a lawsuit brought by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Alabama Disability Advocacy Program, and Southern Poverty Law Center. On June 15, 2020, a federal district court judge in Alabama issued a preliminary injunction on Alabama’s restrictions on absentee ballots. In his ruling, Judge Abdul K. Kallon noted that, if the state’s election laws were allowed to stand, "individual plaintiffs and similarly-situated voters could likely face a painful and difficult choice between exercising their fundamental right to vote and safeguarding their health." On June 25, the Eleventh Circuit denied a request by Alabama state officials for an emergency stay of Judge Kallon’s preliminary injunction, noting that the state’s argument "reflects a serious lack of understanding of or disregard for the science and facts involved here." The Supreme Court has since stayed the 11th Circuit ruling at Lacour’s request in a 5-4 ruling, allowing Alabama to restore the voting restrictions.
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2020-06-11): These include requirements such as those in Alabama where voters voting absentee must secure the signature of two third- party witnesses or have the ballot notarized and include a copy of their government-issued photo ID when they mail in their ballot. [...] Carolina that absentee voters have a third-party witness sign the ballot is an unconstitutional burden given the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. And our claim was specifically focused on the burden experienced by Black voters. [...] Mrs. Davis of California. They could have two witnesses. So we are doing social distancing now, so why would you put people in a position to be in close contact with another two people signing--having to look at a signature together with that person as well as a notary? I mean, it sounds to me like you are adding some steps for people that are unnecessary.
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2024-03-07): In 2020, a federal court explained after a full trial on the merits that Alabama’s restrictive absentee voting laws "enacted in the 1990s" and still in place today "disproportionately disadvantaged the rural Black citizens who historically relied on absentee voting. Because these citizens regularly worked long hours outside their counties and often lacked access to vehicles, they struggled to reach ‘far-flung polling places’ on Election Day. Alabama’s rural Black Belt, which is predominately Black, thus saw sharp declines in the number of absentee ballots cast."[41] That same court found that Alabama’s requirement that absentee voters have their ballot witnessed by two other individuals or have their ballot envelope notarized violated Section 2 of the VRA in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic.[42] The court found that the interaction of the witness requirement with "‘the totality of the circumstances’ people of color face, e.g. disparities in health, COVID-19 risks, and access to critical resources for safely adhering to the witness requirement like transportation, funds for a notary, technology, and internet access" created these unequal outcomes.[43] The court further found "that the history of discrimination shows racial bias in the Alabama community caused the alleged vote-denial or abridgment."[44] [...] [68] "Election Fraud Cases," The Heritage Foundation, accessed February 26, 2024, https://www.heritage.org/voterfraud/search. [...] [70] "Election Fraud Cases," The Heritage Foundation, accessed February 26, 2024, https://www.heritage.org/voterfraud/search.
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2022-06-21): N.C. Gen. Stat. § 131C-17.2 (1986); N.C. Gen. Stat. § 131C-16.1(3) (1986); N.C. Gen. Stat. § 131C-6 (1986): North Carolina law that places various limitations on the solicitation of charitable contributions by professional fundraisers. [...] Act of May 31, 1870, § 5 (16 Stat. 141): Provision penalizing "[e]very person who prevents, hinders, controls, or intimidates another from exercising, or in exercising the right of suffrage, to whom that right is guaranteed by the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, by means of bribery or threats." [...] Opens in a new window
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2020-08-03): For an absentee ballot to count in Wisconsin, a voter and a witness must sign the ballot envelope and include the address of the witness. Those safeguards — put in place to eliminate mail-in ballot fraud — in fact contributed to the rejection of 13,834 ballots, according to APM Reports' analysis. [...] Nine states require a witness signature to submit an absentee ballot. Another three states require at least two witnesses or a notary agent, according to the nonpartisan Brookings Institution. [...] For example, a lower court waived the witness signature requirement on absentee ballots, but the ruling was later reversed. The courts also shifted the deadlines for returning absentee ballots.
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2020-04-10): We need your help. [...] In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2021-02-08): Nine proposals in seven statesfootnote4_S32Xw38cVVGKnuMR-rrC66B2k57BNfzTb73E6ZW71II_vYI2mOf2Lbg94AZ, CT, NJ, NY, OK, PA, WA. would restrict election officials’ ability to send absentee ballots to voters without a specific request. Arizona’s proposal (HB 2792) would make it a felony to affirmatively send an absentee ballot to anyone not on the permanent early voter list. Oklahoma’s bill proposes an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to prohibit delivery of an absentee ballot to anyone who has not submitted an application notarized or signed by two witnesses (OK SJR 25). [...] - Witness signatures: Four statesfootnote7_ilDL1xvZ5hVoWrT5-FAYJZULzmzYSBAFDJrM1ZIXBk_zZ1mEyNF9KsQ7AK, AZ, SC, VA. have introduced legislation to make it harder to satisfy existing witness requirements. Arizona’s bill would also require all mail ballots to be notarized. South Carolina’s bill would require a witness to include their driver’s license or state voter registration number, and two Virginia bills would ask witnesses to print their name and provide their residential address. The Alaska proposal states that if a court invalidates the witness signature requirement because of a state of emergency, the requirement goes back into effect after the emergency declaration expires (AK SB 39). Minnesota’s bill (MN HF 293) would impose a new witness requirement. As noted above, an Oklahoma bill seeks to mandate a nationwide witness and notary requirement.
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2020-10-09): Most states require voters to sign an affidavit on the outside of the envelope containing the mail ballot to affirm identity and eligibility to vote. Make sure you sign that envelope. Some states verify your ballot by matching the signature from the voter registration form. Others use the signature on file with the government, such as the signature on a driver’s license. Find out the rules where you live. Depending on the state, you might also need a signature from a witness, or a notary. [...] Just 19 states have a process requiring election officials to notify voters if problems occur with their ballots and offer an opportunity to fix them, according to Votingrightslab.org. According to an analysis by the National Vote at Home Institute, a nonpartisan group that advocates for states to make it easier to cast ballots from home, 47 states and the District of Columbia now have online portals that allow voters to track the status of their ballots every step of the way.
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2023-04-18): Organized absentee ballot fraud of sufficient scope to corrupt an election is no doomsday hypothetical: it happened as recently as 2018 in North Carolina. In the state’s Ninth Congressional District, over 282,000 voters cast ballots, either in person or absentee. See Brief of Dan McCready at 7, In re Investigation of Election Irregularities Affecting Ctys. Within the 9th Cong. Dist. (N.C. State Bd. of Elections Feb. 12, 2019) [hereinafter McCready Br.]. North Carolina permits "[a]ny qualified voter" in the state to vote by absentee ballot. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 163A-1295. However, like Arizona, the state adheres to the Commission’s recommendations and restricts the categories of persons who may collect a voter’s absentee ballot. It is a Class I felony in North Carolina for "any person except the voter’s near relative or the voter’s verifiable legal guardian to assist the voter to vote an absentee ballot." Id. § 163A-1298. [...] Ann. § 163A-1169(a)(4) ("If a voter was properly registered to vote in the election by the county board, no mistake of an election official in giving the voter a ballot or in failing to comply with G.S. 163A-1184 or G.S. 163A-1142 shall serve to prevent the counting of the vote on any ballot item the voter was eligible by registration and qualified by residency to vote."). This dissent resolves doubt in favor of listing North Carolina as a state that counts OOP ballots—even though its current law and practice are not entirely clear.
Claim: North Carolina is "in the small minority of states that requires an absentee ballot to be signed by two witnesses or a notary public." (Jay Chaudhuri, 2020-04-10)
Evidence (2021-07-15): An absentee by mail ballot must be signed by both the voter and by one witness. A person who is a witness is allowed to serve as a witness for only one absentee ballot. [...] North Carolina does not require a copy of voter identification but does require the signature of a notary or witness on the return envelope of an absentee ballot. Marking of an absentee ballot must be witnessed by two people or one notary. The two witnesses must sign the ballot, provide address information, and certify that the voter is the registered voter that requested the absentee ballot. If witnessed by a notary public, the ballot can be notarized.
Claim: "We put $330 million in general school aids — the largest in more than a decade." (Tony Evers, 2021-01-13)
Evidence (2021-01-13): The 2019-2021 budget allocated an additional $329,942,000 — a 3.5% increase — for general school aid. That’s the biggest increase in spending for that pot of money since the 2005-2007 budget.