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Absentee/mail-in voting witness requirements, 2024
From Ballotpedia
This article lists each state's absentee/mail-in ballot witness requirements for the November 5, 2024, general election. For additional information about absentee/mail-in voting, click here.
Absentee/mail-in voting witness requirements by state
According to research conducted by the National Conference of State Legislatures:[1]
| Absentee/mail-in voting witness requirements by state for November 5, 2024, general election[1] | |
|---|---|
| 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. Effective July 1, 2025, witnesses must be at least 18 years old." |
| 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 a notary public or other individual authorized to administer oaths. Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, the witness must be at least 18 years old." |
| 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 a notary public or by two witnesses who are at least 18 years old." |
| North Dakota | No. |
| Ohio | No. |
| Oklahoma | "Yes; absentee ballot envelopes must be notarized." |
| Oregon | No. |
| Pennsylvania | No. |
| Rhode Island | No. |
| South Carolina | "Yes; absentee ballot envelopes must be signed by the voter and a witness who is at least 18 years old. Military and overseas voters are exempt from the witness requirement." |
| South Dakota | No. |
| Tennessee | No. |
| Texas | No. |
| Utah | No. |
| Vermont | No. |
| Virginia | No. |
| Washington | No. |
| West Virginia | No. |
| Wisconsin | "Yes; absentee ballots must be signed by the voter and a witness 18 years or older." |
| Wyoming | No. |
See also
- Absentee/mail-in voting
- Absentee/mail-in voting eligibility
- How does absentee/mail-in voting work?
- How can I check the status of my ballot?
- What happens if I vote by mail and want to change my ballot at a later date?
- What happens if someone votes by mail and then tries to vote in person?
- What happens if someone votes by absentee/mail-in ballot and dies before Election Day?
- Do absentee/mail-in ballots take longer to count than in-person ballots?
- How do states verify absentee/mail-in ballots?
- How do election workers match signatures?
- Ballot curing rules by state
- When can states begin processing and counting absentee/mail-in ballots?
- Processing, counting, and challenging absentee/mail-in ballots in the states
Footnotes
