S.C. absentee-ballot witness ruling appealed

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Republican officials in South Carolina and the state’s election commission are appealing a federal ruling last week that struck down a rule requiring absentee mail-in ballots to be signed by a witness for the November election.

The appeal poses a challenge to officials trying to communicate the rule change to voters.

Local elections officials began mailing out the ballots to voters this week, and the state elections commission is now recommending voters get their ballots signed by a witness.

More than 1 million ballots could be cast by mail in South Carolina for the general election, based on estimates from the June primaries.