Key Toss-Up Races Held in States Where Military Absentee Ballots Face Delays

Fox News ^ | August 26, 2010 | James Rosen/Staff

[jazusamo]

Sens. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin and Michael Bennet of Colorado are just two incumbents locked in tight re-election races in states where local officials have warned they will likely not be able to ship out general election ballots to overseas military voters by the Sept. 18 deadline.

Both Democrats' race are listed as "toss-ups" by RealClearPolitics.com, and military ballots could make the difference.

But Wisconsin and Colorado are among 10 states where local officials say they may not be able to comply with Move Act provisions that call for ballots to be mailed out at least 45 days before the 2010 midterm election.

Fox News has identified four states -- Wisconsin, Colorado, Maryland and Washington -- where races may hinge on those absentee ballots and on whether their delivery works as intended on behalf of the fighting men and women abroad.

"Russ Feingold's election in 1998 was decided by fewer than 40,000 votes. This time around, our polls are showing him leading by one (percentage) point or maybe down by one point," said Sean Trende of RealClearPolitics.com. "So there is a chance that the 15,000 or so overseas military ballots could be what decides that election, if it ends up within 1,000 votes, which is entirely possible."

And in one Maryland congressional district, Frank Kratovil, a Democratic freshman, also faces a tight race for re-election.

[combat_boots]

Are these the 10? If so, get out there, folks, and get in the loop to count the votes. The Left steals this one for all the marbles.

Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin

(as well as the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands)

[ApplegateRanch]

What do you expect? They can't do everything necessary, leading up to the general elections; somethings go to give.

Printing, marking & hiding “insurance” ballots to be “found” in case of a close count takes precedence over sending out blank real ballots to likely opposition (military) voters.

[Clintonfatigued]

The Democrats pay lip service to American soldiers, but actions speak louder than words.

[jazusamo]

From a previous article these were listed.

Twelve states have applied for waivers from protecting military voters in the 2010 election: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Maryland, Delaware, Wisconsin, Colorado, Washington, Hawaii, Alaska, and the District of Columbia.

[knarf]

" .. where local officials say they may not be able to comply .. "

Who are these "local officials" and why wouldn't they be able to comply ?

[jazusamo]

Amen to that, the RATS need time for their shenanigans.

[jazusamo]

The Secretary of States are the ones responsible and they’re the ones that file for waivers with the voting rights division of the DOJ.

The final decision on those waivers is made by the DOD at the Pentagon.

[Jet Jaguar]

Active duty/Retiree ping.

[screaminsunshine]

I hope we win by enough to overcome the Democrat fraud.

[GATOR NAVY]

Some of this probably is leftists election officials who aren’t in any hurry to get ballots to military they think won’t vote democrat. But I wouldn’t be surprised if some of it wasn’t also due to too many lazy SOBs abusing the system by requesting absentee ballots simply so they don’t have to get off their butts and go to the polls on election day. This increases the work load of the election officials and makes it more difficult for them to get the ballots to folks who really need them.

[Melchior]

Isn’t this the sort of situation where a writ of mandamus should be employed?

[jazusamo]

I believe both your points are valid. The sickening thing is these states filing for waivers know they’re depriving some of our military the right to vote and even admit it yet they seem to be unwilling to rectify it.

[TheConservativeParty]

“not be able to” = don’t want to

Doesn’t bother them in the least to deny the military their voting rights. Also doesn’t bother dems to deny not yet born Americans the right to live. Dems are bastard coated bastards with bastard filling.

[cookcounty]

Colorado, Maryland and Wisconsin all have Dems in the SOS office.....in Wisconsin, it’s Bob La Follette, supposedly of a family with fame for “electoral reform.”

[chooseascreennamepat]

“lazy SOBs abusing the system by requesting absentee ballots simply so they don’t have to get off their butts and go to the polls on election day.”

That comment offends me greatly.

At least in my state. I have the right to get a mail in ballot. For good cause, for bad cause , or for no cause at all. In my case, I am crippled and there is no way I can stand up for more than 2-3 minutes at a time. My wife is healthy but she gets a absentee ballot just because it makes no sense not to.

Now if the state is unable to accommodate this practice, perhaps they can create a job and put someone to work.

[ldish]

time to overthrow the b*st*rds in power!

[jazusamo]

Election Law Center posted by Christian Adams.

Do blank paper ballots or fax machines exempt states from MOVE Act?

The MOVE Act waivers are due out on Monday next week.  Election Law Center has extensively covered  the MOVE Act applications.

The Department of Defense must approve or reject the waivers with the advice of the Department of Justice.  Two issues lurk through the waiver debates:  1) can states comply by just mailing a blank ballot 45 days in advance to military voters and consider that a ballot?  What good is it for a solider to get a blank sheet of paper without the names.  Are they supposed to find out who the candidates are once they are certified?  But that is exactly what the states of New Hampshire, and perhaps Maryland, are arguing.  The Department of Justice in McCain v. Cunningham has already taken the position that sending a blank ballot (aka FWAB ) would not constitute a real ballot.  At least the Bush DOJ took that position.  2) Will the DOD and DOJ give too much weight to efforts at mitigation through computers and fax machines?  Some inside the government (and this will be covered by writers in the future) have explicitly adopted an 80 percent policy.  That is, they are willing to see 20 percent of military voters lose their right to vote as long as those 80 percent are aided by computers to get ballots.  This helps the tail, but not the teeth. 

The people who may be disenfranchised next Monday by the DOD and DOJ are the front line soldiers like the Navy Seals, 10th Mountain, Marines and others who hear the sounds of bullets whistling by their ears but don't see a computer screen for weeks.  They eat MREs, they don't surf the web.  The sleep under the stars, they don't have fax machines.  But some in Washington may be about to adopt a policy that disenfranchises these heroes while they will approve waivers because someone at Aviano can sip a Taurasi and prints a ballot from email.  Leave it to Washington to come up with an 80 percent solution for our bravest servicemembers.

If Washington thinks an FWAB is enough to ignore the MOVE Act then they will have made a joke of the law.

[TheConservativeParty]

I can see November from my back 40.

: )

[JulieRNR21]

Every state should be doing whatever is necessary to ensure that the votes of all serving in the Military are counted.