Name: Oklahoma Supreme Court strikes notary requirement for absentee ballots
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Oklahoma Supreme Court strikes notary requirement for absentee ballots

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Carmen Forman Related coverage The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Monday struck down a requirement that absentee ballots must be notarized to be valid.An order issued Monday by Chief Justice Noma Gurich bars the Oklahoma State Election Board from issuing ballot forms or other election materials that suggest notarization is required.Instead, a statement signed, dated and declared under the penalty of perjury will suffice on absentee ballots. The order from the state's high court requires the State Election Board to recognize the signed statements as proof that said voter did fill out their own ballot.The court’s ruling gives a win to the League of Women Voters, which sued the State Election Board over the notary requirement in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The election rights group said the notary requirement was a "substantial obstacle" that absentee voters would have to face if they chose not to cast an in-person ballot due to concerns about COVID-19.Cancer survivor Peggy Winston said she joined the lawsuit because she believed undoing the notary requirement could save lives.“This is a victory for every Oklahoma voter who wants to exercise the right to vote but not risk their lives to do so," she said.Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax opposed doing away with the notary requirement due to concerns about voter fraud. He doubled down on those concerns Monday.“Although I respect the decision of the court and will follow the ruling to the utmost of my ability, this decision effectively leaves Oklahoma without a means to verify that the person who signs an absentee ballot affidavit is the same person to whom the ballot was issued," he said.Ziriax said the Election Board had previously purchased and printed ballots. A spokeswoman for the Election Board said the ballots will not need to be reprinted, but modifications will have to be made to the ballot instructions and accompanying materials.A majority of the justices concurred with the decision. Justices James Winchester, Dustin Rowe and M. John Kane IV dissented.June 5 is the last day to register to vote in the primary election. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5 p.m. on June 25. Request an absentee ballot at .

Carmen Forman Related coverage The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Monday struck down a requirement that absentee ballots must be notarized to be valid.An order issued Monday by Chief Justice Noma Gurich bars the Oklahoma State Election Board from issuing ballot forms or other election materials that suggest notarization is required.Instead, a statement signed, dated and declared under the penalty of perjury will suffice on absentee ballots. The order from the state's high court requires the State Election Board to recognize the signed statements as proof that said voter did fill out their own...

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Oklahoma Supreme Court strikes notary requirement for absentee ballots

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