August 10, the Republican National Committee and the Rhode Island Republican Party sought a stay from the U.S. Supreme Court of the July 30 consent decree to eliminate witness/notary requirements for vote by mail throughout the 2020 elections due to the COVID-19 pandemic. - Two courts have ruled in favor of temporarily suspending the requirement. - Mail ballots have been printed without the witness/notary requirement, but they are currently on hold since it is not clear what the Supreme Court will do. 

Statement of League of Women Voters of RI President Jane W. Koster

“The court’s decision upholding our agreement to waive Rhode Island’s onerous two-witness and notary requirement for mail-in ballots for our upcoming elections was a victory for voters. These requirements do nothing to improve the security of our elections; instead, they effectively disenfranchise Black, Latinx, elderly, and disabled voters, who will rely heavily on mail-in ballots to vote safely this year. The League will continue to advocate for voter safety to be the number one priority as we continue to navigate this election-year pandemic.”

Joint Press release from Common Cause, the ACLU, and the League of Women Voters

History and filings in the case are available here.