NC halts plan to resolve ballot issue with voter affidavits

RALEIGH, NC (AP) — The North Carolina State Board of Elections has sent out a memo encouraging county elections officials to suspend a program allowing voters to sign an affidavit to make up for the lack of a witness signature on their ballots.

Thousands of North Carolina voters have failed to provide witness information on the back of their return envelopes, a requirement for the ballots to be accepted.

The board issued guidance last week to correct that problem by giving voters an affidavit rather than a new ballot. But the settlement is being reviewed in state and federal court.

A federal judge has expressed concern that the new protocols would upend the witness requirement.