Court OKs Extending Waiver of Virginia’s Ballot Witness Rule

Virginians won’t need a witness when they sign their ballots for the Nov. 3 general election, a federal court decided Friday.

The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia approved a deal to waive the requirement. The ACLU and others sued over the rule, claiming it would force people who live alone to choose between voting or their health during the coronavirus pandemic.

• The Virginia Board of Elections requires an absentee voter to open the envelope containing the ballot in front of someone else, fill it out, and have the other person sign the envelope before it’s mailed. ...