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

[FocusNexus]

Full list of states doing this is in the article.

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

[theDentist]

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

[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?!

[SolidWood]

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.

[polymuser]

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

[ozzymandus]

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

[Roccus]

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

[Yosemitest]

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.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

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.

[Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus]

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?

[Yosemitest]

You got it.
Call your own County Clerk and verify your own situation.

[weegee]

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

[PugetSoundSoldier]

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!

[2CAVTrooper]

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.

[cookcounty]

"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?

[Carry_Okie]

What do you bet Minnesota is on that list?

Count every leftist vote, twice if necessary.

[Major Matt Mason]

A few red states on that list, but a lot more blue states, which is not surprising. This should be a national scandal.

[panthermom]

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

[dools007]

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.

[Old Sarge]

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.