Federal Court Says ID, Witnesses Required For Absentee Voting
People who want to vote by absentee ballot now must provide a photo ID to apply for an absentee ballot and have the signatures of two witnesses or a notary to cast the ballot itself.
A federal court ruled Tuesday that the state should enforce those requirements.
Photo ID and witnesses have been required under the law for previous elections in Alabama. But a federal judge ruled last month that they were overly burdensome during a pandemic for older people and people with health conditions. The U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday overruled the earlier order issued by U.S. District Court Judge Abdul Kallon.
“The photo ID and witness requirements are necessary deterrents for those looking to commit voter fraud, and I am glad the 11th Circuit has recognized their importance in safeguarding the elections process,” Secretary of State John Merrill said in a statement.
However, the 11th Circuit did uphold a portion of Kallon’s ruling that said the state could not bar counties from offering curbside voting. Merrill’s statement said his office had not been notified of any counties that wanted to offer curbside voting, but the state intends to appeal that portion of the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Russia sends 3 Iranian satellites into orbit, report says
The report said that a Russian rocket sent the satellites on Sunday from a launchpad in eastern Russia.
Viral global TikToks: A twist on soccer, Tanzania’s Charlie Chaplin, hope in Gaza
TikToks are everywhere (well, except countries like Australia and India, where they've been banned.) We talk to the creators of some of the year's most popular reels from the Global South.
This painting is missing. Do you have it?
An important work from a rediscovered artist has been absent from public view since the 1970s. A New York curator is hunting for it.
Memory loss: As AI gobbles up chips, prices for devices may rise
Demand for memory chips currently exceeds supply and there's very little chance of that changing any time soon. More chips for AI means less available for other products such as computers and phones and that could drive up those prices too.
Brigitte Bardot, sex goddess of cinema, has died
Legendary screen siren and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot has died at age 91. The alluring former model starred in numerous movies, often playing the highly sexualized love interest.
For Ukrainians, a nuclear missile museum is a bitter reminder of what the country gave up
The Museum of Strategic Missile Forces tells the story of how Ukraine dismantled its nuclear weapons arsenal after independence in 1991. Today many Ukrainians believe that decision to give up nukes was a mistake.
