Absentee/mail-in voting signature and witness requirements, 2022

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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.

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.

Absentee/mail-in voting signature and witness requirements by state for November 8, 2022, general election
State	Are notary or witness signatures required?
Alabama	Yes; either two witnesses older than 18, or a notary public must sign the return envelope.
Alaska	Yes; an attesting signature is needed by a witness older than 18 or an official authorized to administer oaths.
Arizona	No.
Arkansas	No.
California	No.
Colorado	No.
Connecticut	No.
Delaware	No.
District of Columbia	No.
Florida	No.
Georgia	No.
Hawaii	No.
Idaho	No.
Illinois	No.
Indiana	No.
Iowa	No.
Kansas	No.
Kentucky	No.
Louisiana	Yes; the absentee ballot return envelope must be signed by a witness.
Maine	No.
Maryland	No.
Massachusetts	No.
Michigan	No.
Minnesota	Yes; the absentee ballot envelope must be signed by either a witness who is registered to vote in Minnesota or by an individual authorized to administer oaths.
Mississippi	Yes; absentee ballot envelopes must be signed by a notary public or other official authorized to administer oaths.
Missouri	Yes; absentee ballot envelopes must be signed by a notary election official, or other officer authorized to administer oaths.
Montana	No.
Nebraska	No.
Nevada	No.
New Hampshire	No.
New Jersey	No.
New Mexico	No.
New York	No.
North Carolina	Yes; absentee ballot envelopes must be signed by two witnesses who are at least 18 years old or a notary public.
North Dakota	No.
Ohio	No.
Oklahoma	Yes; absentee ballot envelopes must be notarized.
Oregon	No.
Pennsylvania	No.
Rhode Island	Yes; absentee ballot envelopes must be signed by two witnesses or a notary public. Military and overseas voters do not need a signature or notary.
South Carolina	Yes; absentee ballot envelopes must be signed by the voter and a witness. Military and overseas voters are exempt from the witness requirement.
South Dakota	No.
Tennessee	No.
Texas	No.
Utah	No.
Vermont	No.
Virginia	Yes; absentee envelopes must be signed by the voter and a witness.
Washington	No.
West Virginia	No.
Wisconsin	Yes; absentee ballots must be signed by the voter and a witness.
Wyoming	No.

See also

• Ballotpedia's 2022 Election Help Desk: Processing and counting absentee/mail-in ballots
• Do absentee/mail-in ballots take longer to count than in-person ballots? (2022)
• What happens if someone votes by mail and then tries to vote in person? (2022)
• How do states verify absentee/mail-in ballots? (2022)
• What is ballot curing? (2022)