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Supreme Court Blocks Alabama’s Measures to Make Voting Safer During Raging Pandemic

The voting measures were struck down by a reported five to four vote.

The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked a ruling that would have eased voting restrictions in Alabama during the raging coronavirus pandemic to make voting more safe, according to Reuters. In normal times, Alabama voters must submit a photo ID when they apply for an absentee ballot, and they need that ballot to be returned with the signature of at least two witnesses or a notary. Last month, a U.S. district court judge in Birmingham ruled that voters who are 65 or older or have a disability didn’t need to submit a photo ID, and voters with medical conditions that put them at risk of COVID-19 didn’t need to have their ballots signed by a witness. However, on Thursday, the Supreme Court issued an order blocking that ruling by a reported five to four vote after an emergency application was made to the court. The case deals with Alabama’s July 14 runoff election, which was postponed from March due to the coronavirus. President Donald Trump has repeatedly raged against mail-in ballots, claiming with no evidence that they make voting fraud more likely.