Chambers v. State of North Carolina

The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of North Carolina, and Sullivan & Cromwell filed a lawsuit challenging absentee ballot witness requirements that needlessly put North Carolinians at risk of exposure to COVID-19.

The lawsuit seeks to block provisions of a state law that require voters who submit a mail-in absentee ballot to have at least one other witness to sign their ballot envelope, even in the midst of a highly contagious and deadly pandemic. The case was brought on behalf of several voters who have chronic conditions placing them at risk of severe complications from COVID-19.

The ACLU is asking the court to block the state from enforcing the witness requirements while COVID-19 emergency orders are in place and/or community transmission of COVID-19 is occurring, and order it to issue guidance instructing city and county election officials to count otherwise validly cast absentee ballots that are missing witness signatures.

The lawsuit, Chambers v. State of North Carolina, was filed in Wake County Superior Court in Raleigh, North Carolina.