Democrats on Tuesday notched two victories in lawsuits aimed at making it easier to vote by mail during the pandemic.
The state of Rhode Island agreed to eliminate witness or notary requirements for people voting by mail throughout the 2020 elections due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A judge signed off on the agreement Tuesday.
The case was brought on behalf of two voting rights advocacy groups _ the League of Women Voters of Rhode Island and Common Cause Rhode Island _ and Rhode Islanders with significant medical vulnerabilities that place them or members of their household at a heightened risk of severe illness or death if they contract COVID-19.
Also on Tuesday, a judge in Minnesota blocked election officials from enforcing a state law that prohibited voters from helping more than three other people to cast absentee ballots, handing a significant win to two national Democratic organizations that sued to end the provisions.
"To date, there is nothing in the record which demonstrates the precise interest of Minnesota as justification for the burden imposed by the challenged laws," the judge wrote.
