Map Shows States Making Late Changes to Election Rules

The 2024 presidential election is fast approaching, and it’s widely expected the race between Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican nominee former President Donald Trump will go down to the wire.
Six weeks out, several places, including some key swing states, have been making last-minute changes to their election rules.
These modifications will affect how Americans vote, how ballots are counted, and how election results are processed, as per the Associated Press. Here’s a look at some of the most significant changes state-by-state.
Hand-counting requirements for ballots
In Georgia, election workers will now be required to hand-count the number of ballots cast after voting is completed. The rule, which was passed on Friday, mandates that the number of ballots be counted by hand at every polling place, by three separate poll workers, until all three counts are the same, according to AP.
Digital IDs for voting
In North Carolina, some students and university staff will be able to use digital IDs to vote for the first time. The State Board of Elections approved digital IDs for students and staff at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as part of the state’s new photo voter ID law, as per AP.
Ballot drop boxes return
After being banned in 2022, ballot drop boxes are once again legal in Wisconsin. A ruling by the state’s new liberal majority on the Supreme Court reinstated the use of drop boxes in July. While their use is optional for local election officials, major cities like Milwaukee and Madison will use them during the upcoming election, according to AP.
New hand-count requirements for ballot envelopes
Arizona has also introduced a hand-counting requirement that could delay results in the crucial swing state. The new law mandates that election workers count the ballot envelopes dropped off on election day before they are tabulated. Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, expects between 378,000 and 504,000 ballots to be dropped off on Nov. 5, which could lead to delays, AP reported.
Ban on electronic signatures for voter registration
In Arkansas, a federal appeals court recently reinstated a rule banning electronic signatures for voter registration. The rule, which was adopted by the state Board of Election Commissioners in April, requires voters to sign their registration forms with a pen, rejecting the use of electronic signatures, as per AP.
A statement shared with Newsweek from the Arkansas secretary of state said that “this rule, recently made by the State Board of Election Commissioners was meant to clarify what has been standard practice already. Arkansas has not accepted electronic signatures previously, so this is not a big new change. This has been challenged in court and is the subject of ongoing litigation.
Ongoing legal battles over mail-in ballots
Pennsylvania is facing multiple court challenges over how mail-in ballots are processed. A pending case before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court could determine whether counties must count provisional ballots cast by voters whose mail-in ballots were rejected for minor mistakes, such as failing to insert the ballot into a secrecy envelope, as per AP.
A statement shared with Newsweek from the PA Department of State said: “This decision is disappointing and leaves unanswered the important question of whether the dating requirement violates the Pennsylvania Constitution, as the Commonwealth Court found. The Department hopes that this question is answered as soon as possible, for the sake of the voters and our county election administrators preparing for the upcoming presidential election.”
Changes to mail ballot requests
This year’s presidential election will be the first since Florida enacted significant changes to its mail-in voting laws. Voters now must reapply for a mail-in ballot for each election cycle, rather than every two cycles, and must provide additional identification, such as a driver’s license number or Social Security number, according to AP.
New rules for ballot drop-off
In Ohio, Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, issued a directive in August limiting who can drop off a ballot in a drop box. Under the new rules, only the voter may place their own ballot in a drop box. If someone else assists the voter, they must return the ballot inside a county election board office and complete an attestation form, as per AP.
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