Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Many in U.S. military don't get time to vote: study (states don't send out absentee ballots in time)
Reuters ^ | Jan. 6, 2008 | Andy Sullivan

Posted on 01/06/2009 11:12:20 AM PST by FocusNexus

Many U.S. troops serving overseas are effectively excluded from voting because they are not given enough time to cast absentee ballots, according to a report released on Tuesday.

Sixteen U.S. states and the District of Columbia do not send out their absentee ballots early enough to allow those serving in conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan to fill them out and return them before their voting deadline, the Pew Center on the States found.

Another six states force soldiers, sailors and marines to return their ballots by fax or e-mail to meet the deadline, risking the privacy and security of their vote.

And another three states only give service members five days to fill out their ballots, the study found.

Overall, 25 states -- including large states like New York, California and Texas -- make it difficult or impossible for those risking their lives for democracy to participate in it, the study found.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: absenteeballots; disenfrancised; elections; howtostealanelection; militaryvotes; overseasballots; supressthevote; votes
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-29 next last
Full list of states doing this is in the article.

Residents of those states should contact their state government about this.

1 posted on 01/06/2009 11:12:21 AM PST by FocusNexus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus

Gee, seems I’ve heard this complaint before... in 2004, and 2000... AFTER the votes were counted.


2 posted on 01/06/2009 11:14:07 AM PST by theDentist (Qwerty ergo typo : I type, therefore I misspelll)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus

I was also just noticing that the article also says that states should drop the requirements that service members get their ballots notarized. I didn’t know they have such burdensome requirment.

You mustn’t ask for ID from illegal aliens voting, multiple times, local residents mailing in absentee ballots, but US service members in the war zone need to get their ballots notarized. How outrageous is that?!


3 posted on 01/06/2009 11:15:43 AM PST by FocusNexus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus
Many U.S. troops serving overseas are effectively excluded from voting because ... they tend to vote overwhelmingly Republican.

Serviceman and woman should be the first to vote.

4 posted on 01/06/2009 11:16:03 AM PST by SolidWood (Sarah Palin - Everything that is Sweetness and Light!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus

Sad, sad, sad.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-5673
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s110-3073
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,396343,00.html


5 posted on 01/06/2009 11:21:19 AM PST by polymuser (Bye, bye Miss American Pie.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus

This should be a national scandal. How many elections have the RATS stolen by not letting soldiers vote?


6 posted on 01/06/2009 11:22:29 AM PST by ozzymandus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus

Further proof that the electoral systems in this country are frauds of a grand scale.


7 posted on 01/06/2009 11:22:49 AM PST by Roccus (I am a RINO...............I am a Conservative.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus
This is only half of the problem.
Most States require the return envelope be postmarked with a date on it from the voter's post office.

But the Postal Workers Union has passed a "Policy" that requires they NOT postmark the envelops that the returned ballots are sent in, and thereby voiding the ballot, as unofficial.

The County Clerk in Florida informed me of this several years ago when I was stationed in Louisiana, and told me that if I wanted my vote to count, I'd better send it Priority Mail. That cost me $10.00, but I got the envelope stamped with a return date.

8 posted on 01/06/2009 11:24:46 AM PST by Yosemitest (It's simple, fight or die.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus

This is outrageous. There are probably more illegal aliens and other fraudulent voters who cast ballots in this election than did US servicemembers in uniform defending our freedom.


9 posted on 01/06/2009 11:25:50 AM PST by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (Nihil utile nisi quod honestum - Marcus Tullius Cicero)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Yosemitest
But the Postal Workers Union has passed a "Policy" that requires they NOT postmark the envelops that the returned ballots are sent in, and thereby voiding the ballot, as unofficial.

What? Why? Because the PWU is a Democrat organ and is doing its part to suppress Republican turnout?

10 posted on 01/06/2009 11:30:37 AM PST by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (Nihil utile nisi quod honestum - Marcus Tullius Cicero)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus
You got it.
Call your own County Clerk and verify your own situation.
11 posted on 01/06/2009 11:33:36 AM PST by Yosemitest (It's simple, fight or die.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Yosemitest

Mysteriously ballots also wind up in other states until after election day.


12 posted on 01/06/2009 11:38:26 AM PST by weegee (Obamunism, just another word for the policies of a NeoCom.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus

Minnesota is on the troubled state list... Coincidence that Stuart Smalley got elected by 225 votes? Easier to do if you toss the tens of thousands of military votes!


13 posted on 01/06/2009 11:39:39 AM PST by PugetSoundSoldier (Indignation over the sting of truth is the defense of the indefensible)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus

A lot of these states are controlled by ‘Rats.

Alabama for example is one of them. In the State House of Representatives, Republicans only hold 42 of the 105 seats while in the Senate they hold 13 of the 35 seats. And most of the counties are also controlled by ‘Rats.


14 posted on 01/06/2009 11:56:50 AM PST by 2CAVTrooper
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus
"Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Vermont only give overseas servicemembers five days to fill out their ballots, the study found.

Maybe that's the difference in the Coleman-Franken Race right there......where are the late ballots?.....what about the troops that knew they couldn't get it back in time, and so didn't send theirs in?.....

How about a re-vote for overseas servicemembers?

15 posted on 01/06/2009 12:19:52 PM PST by cookcounty ("A ship in harbor is safe, but that's not why the ship is built." ---Governor Sarah Palin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus
What do you bet Minnesota is on that list?

Count every leftist vote, twice if necessary.

16 posted on 01/06/2009 12:49:32 PM PST by Carry_Okie (The environment is too complex and too important to manage by central planning.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus
A few red states on that list, but a lot more blue states, which is not surprising. This should be a national scandal.
17 posted on 01/06/2009 12:53:53 PM PST by Major Matt Mason (The Kenyan Keynesian will bankrupt this nation.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus

You can bet I will be contacting the officials in my state of GA! Absolutely horrible!!!


18 posted on 01/06/2009 12:59:02 PM PST by panthermom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus

Generally the absentee ballot process is designed to be somewhat cumbersome. In the days when there were still honorable people in both major parties the rules were written so as to contrain voter fraud.

Please accept my next comment understanding that I’m retired military and one of my sons is currently a US Army Sergeant Major. He’s been in harm’s way four times and came through unscathed—thank God.

He has been voting in elections for the past 12 years—whether on CONUS (Continental US) or overseas assignments. My home in New Jersey is his home of record. NJ is not exactly a Red State. My point: He has made it his business to become acquainted with the person responsible for absentee ballots in my town. And if an issue developes—timeliness or whatever—my wife or I personally visit that person and straighten it out. I have to say the absentee ballot person has facilitated his ability to vote whatever the problem may have been. Actually I think we had only one problem and that was that my son was late due combat zone responsibilities.

Soldiers, if they want to participate in the political life of the country they have sworn to protect and defend, must take responsibilty for obtaining an absentee ballot. Then they must forward it back to their town in time—with all the blocks checked and complete info—in the time prescribed.

It’s as simple as that.

I can understand young soldiers not caring or knowing about the absentee ballot process. But any soldier E-5 and above has no excuse.


19 posted on 01/06/2009 1:31:35 PM PST by dools007
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: FocusNexus

The Secretaries of State are the ones who certify the votes. If they are Leftists, well then, watch MN, OH, and elsewhere.

“It’s not the votes that count, it’s the ones who count the votes” ~ Stalin.


20 posted on 01/06/2009 1:40:51 PM PST by Old Sarge (For the first time in my life, I am ashamed to be an American)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-29 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson