Army program helps with absentee voting

Army News Service ^ | Andrea Takash

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Army program helps with absentee voting

By Andrea Takash

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Feb. 5, 2004) – Americans across the country are now voting in presidential state primaries, but many Soldiers can’t make it to the polls, said Jim Davis, the Army’s voting action officer.

The Army’s Voting Assistance Program aims to ensure that Soldiers, their families and DoD civilians overseas can exercise their right to vote, Davis said.

Absentee ballots can be applied for by filling out the federal postcard application, standard form 76, which can be found at the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s Web site, Davis said.

“Not only does this register them for an absentee ballot, but it also registers them to vote in federal, state and local elections,” he said. “Everything is taken care of in one step.”

“I recommend that Soldiers send in the federal post card application every year because they might have had an address change since the last election,” he said.

The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act requires states to allow absent military voters and overseas American citizens to use absentee ballots in elections for federal office.

“The states have extended this right to state and local elections also,” Davis said.

Typically absentee ballots are mailed out to citizens 30 to 45 days before an election.

If those Soldiers, family or civilians who are located outside the United States send in their request for an absentee ballot in sufficient time and didn't receive their ballot, they can use the Federal Write-In Application Ballot (SF 186). This form allows them to write in their votes and send it in by the deadline. Voting assistance officers at each overseas unit should have the FWAB."

“The federal write-in application is primarily for federal elections; however, some states accept it,” he said.

Most states require the absentee ballot by close of business on the day of the election. However, there are some exceptions to that rule.

Absentee ballots for Louisiana must be in by midnight before the election. In New York, absentee ballots need to be postmarked the day before the election. North Carolina requires the ballots to be in by 5 p.m. the day before the election.

To make sure the state election official received the absentee ballot, Davis suggests calling the state election office.

Davis also said that absentee votes are counted just like regular votes. “There is no difference,” he said.

He advises people to educate themselves on the issues before voting. “If necessary, do research before you vote. Don’t go in blindly,” he said.

Davis stressed the importance of understanding the laws on residency before registering to vote in a particular state.

“Your decision on which state to register in can affect your pay,” he said.

“You can only have one legal residence at a time; however, you may change residency each time you are transferred,” Davis said. For specific questions on residency, he recommends visiting the Staff Judge Advocate office.

The Army requires every unit to have a voting assistance officer, he said. The voting assistance officers get training at Federal Voting Assistance Program workshops. “The training they receive at these workshops are critical for their ability to do their job,” he said.

Voting assistance officers are there to answer questions and provide resources to Soldiers, their families and DoD civilians on voting in federal, state and local elections.

Davis said the Army is non-partisan. “Our real goal is to inform people on how to vote, who to go see and make them aware,” he said.

It is important that every American citizen of voting age votes, according to Davis. “Voting is how you influence who is in charge of your quality of life. It is your entitlement as an American citizen,” he said.

With the presidential primary elections in full swing, Davis said it is just as important to vote in primaries. “By voting in the primary, you can help the candidate that you want to see in the general election,” he said.

A list of the state’s presidential primary election dates is listed below.

For more information on federal and state voting policies, go to the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s Web site at http://www.fvap.gov/.

State Primary Dates

January 13th, 2004 District of Columbia Presidential Primary (Closed)

January 19th, 2004 Iowa Democratic CaucusesIowa Republican Caucuses

January 27th, 2004 New Hampshire Presidential Primary (Closed)

February 3rd, 2004 Arizona Presidential Preference Election (Closed), Delaware Democratic Presidential Primary (Closed), Missouri Presidential Primary (Open), New Mexico Democratic Caucuses, North Dakota Democratic Caucuses, North Dakota Republican Caucuses, Oklahoma Presidential Primary (Closed), South Carolina Democratic Presidential Preference Primary

February 7th, 2004 Michigan Democratic Presidential Caucuses, Washington Democratic Caucuses

February 8th, 2004 Maine Democratic Caucuses

February 10th, 2004 District of Columbia Republican Presidential Preference Caucuses, Tennessee Presidential Primary (Open), Virginia Democratic Presidential Primary (Open)

February 14th, 2004 District of Columbia Democratic Caucuses, Nevada Democratic Caucuses

February 17th, 2004 Wisconsin Presidential Primary (Open)

February 24th, 2004 Hawaii Democratic Caucuses, Idaho Democratic Caucuses, Utah Democratic Presidential Primary

March 2nd, 2004 California Presidential Primary (Modified Closed), Connecticut Presidential Primary (Closed), Georgia Presidential Preference Primary (Open), Maryland Presidential Primary (Closed), Massachusetts Presidential Primary, Minnesota Democratic Caucuses, Minnesota Republican Caucuses, New York Presidential Primary (Closed), Ohio Presidential Primary (Open), Rhode Island Presidential Preference Primary, Vermont Presidential Primary (Open)

March 9th, 2004 Florida Presidential Primary (Closed), Louisiana Presidential Preference Election (Open), Mississippi Presidential Primary (Open), Texas Presidential Primary (Open), Washington Republican Caucuses

March 13th, 2004 Kansas Democratic Caucuses

March 16th, 2004 Illinois Presidential Primary (Open)

March 20th, 2004 Alaska Democratic Caucuses, Wyoming Democratic County Caucuses

March 23rd, 2004 Utah Republican Caucuses

April 13th, 2004 Colorado Democratic Caucuses, Colorado Republican Caucuses

April 27th, 2004 Pennsylvania Presidential Primary (Closed)

May 4th, 2004 Indiana Presidential Primary (Open), North Carolina Presidential Primary (Closed)

May 8th, 2004 Wyoming Republican State Convention, Arizona Republican State Convention

May 11th, 2004 Nebraska Presidential Primary (Open), West Virginia Presidential Primary (Closed)

May 15th, 2004 Wyoming Democratic State Caucus

May 18th, 2004 Arkansas Presidential Primary (Open), Kentucky Presidential Primary (Closed), Oregon Presidential Primary (Closed)

May 25th, 2004 Idaho Presidential Primary (Open)

June 1st, 2004 Alabama Presidential Primary (Open), New Mexico Republican Primary, South Dakota Presidential Primary (Closed)

June 8th, 2004 Montana Presidential Primary (Open), New Jersey Presidential Primary



January 1-March 20, 2004 Maine Republican Caucuses

June 4-6, 2004 Hawaii Republican Convention

April 29 - May 1, 2004 Nevada Republican State Convention

May 14-15 Delaware Republican State Convention

May 20-22, 2004 Alaska Republican State Convention

May 21-22, 2004 Michigan Republican State Convention

June 4-6, 2004 Virginia Republican State Convention

No Caucus/Primary: Kansas Republican Party, South Carolina Republican Party

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

The Army’s Voting Assistance Program aims to ensure that Soldiers, their families and DoD civilians overseas can exercise their right to vote, Davis said.

Absentee ballots can be applied for by filling out the federal postcard application, standard form 76, which can be found at the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s Web site, Davis said.

“Not only does this register them for an absentee ballot, but it also registers them to vote in federal, state and local elections,” he said. “Everything is taken care of in one step.”

...To make sure the state election official received the absentee ballot, Davis suggests calling the state election office.

A list of the state’s presidential primary election dates is listed below:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                This vote counts:

I DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR (OR AFFIRM) THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC; THAT I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE SAME; AND THAT I WILL OBEY THE ORDERS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE ORDERS OF THE OFFICERS APPOINTED OVER ME, ACCORDING TO REGULATIONS AND THE UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE.  SO HELP ME GOD.

[SAMWolf]

Military vote! Bump

[blackie]

All Votes Count ~ Bump!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~

[Amelia]

My brother was overseas during the 2000 election, and his Florida absentee ballot didn't even reach him until the end of November.

[CPT Clay]

May the military votes be counted this time!!!

[fella]

Vote? A lot of these people aren't even allowed to by beer and they're allowed to vote? What's this world comig to? The next thing you know they'll they'll be allowed to smoke tobbacco after a firefight.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

I'm sorry, Amelia.

Florida Freepers fought back until the electoral college elected GW Bush on Dec. 18, 2000.

We also kept an eye on the local poll workers in 2002.

Wouldn't that be a great job for our Veterans? Especially those belonging to, say, Rolling Thunder...honorable, no-nonsense - tattooed. Let the opposition try to eat chads. (^:

[windchime]

Bump!

[TXnMA]

Way to go!

W and his military leaders are making sure there are no "Gorerobberies" of our troops' votes this time around!!

I remember taking that very oath. 'Twas with a group of USAF volunteers -- on 18 NOV 1960. And I still honor it!

[TXnMA]

Heck, before long they will be running around with G U N S!

[Doe Eyes]

Absentee ballots for Louisiana must be in by midnight before the election. In New York, absentee ballots need to be postmarked the day before the election. North Carolina requires the ballots to be in by 5 p.m. the day before the election.

Laws like these could have caused our President to lose the election. Our soldiers can't alway get their votes in according to rigid rules.

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[blackie]

Yep ~ the adults are in charge now! :)

Count every vote!

~~ Bush/Cheney 2004 ~~

[Hila]

Do you or anyone on this thread remember the now gov. White of Houston, having been involved in trying to block the military from being counted as voters in the last election?

[ExSoldier]

"All Votes Count"

When Bush took office, I heard they were still finding absentee ballots in the bellies of naval ships all over the world, that were never even sent, let alone counted. You think Clinton and Gore didn't know that military votes break two to one Republican? Heck, the Republicans tend to build the military, not rip it to shreds like the Dems. Everytime I hear some liberal whine about all the votes being counted, I just laugh.

[Castlebar]

In the 2000 general election, the democrats threw THOUSANDS of VALID MILITARY ABSENTEE BALLOTS into the garbage in FLORIDA ALONE. The lawyer who showed the democrats how to do this wrote a five page step-by-step instructions memo for each Dem-controlled county elections board. When this surfaced, the U.S.-military-hating junior senator from the People's Republic of Massachusetts said and did nothing as our military had their rights so horribly violated. This fact needs to be rammed into his Botox-puffed face non-stop at the convention!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

I'm sorry you were a victim, too. There were many.

Florida voters, 2002 - case closed.

8 What I KNOW about election 2000

[TXnMA]

Nope...

[blackie]

Yep ~ liberals hate the military. *pity*

[cake_crumb]

BUMP for a DE-military-disenfranchizement campaign!

Can you just see a replay of the 2000 re-re-re-re-re-re-re-count fiasco between Bush and Vietnam War Hero...where the military voters are disenfranchized AGAIN? Yeah, I can too.

[cake_crumb]

"When this surfaced, the U.S.-military-hating junior senator from the People's Republic of Massachusetts said and did nothing as our military had their rights so horribly violated. This fact needs to be rammed into his Botox-puffed face non-stop at the convention"

Of course he didn't and this November he'll be actively PUSHING it. Yes, his silence DOES need to be rammed down is traitorous little throat.

[thackney]

"keep voting" ping

[Allegra]

Yeah, they're on that.

They've got people here to oversee and help us get our applications in for absentee ballots.

I just hope they COUNT the overseas votes this time.

[archy]

I DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR (OR AFFIRM) THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC; THAT I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE SAME; AND THAT I WILL OBEY THE ORDERS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE ORDERS OF THE OFFICERS APPOINTED OVER ME, ACCORDING TO REGULATIONS AND THE UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE. SO HELP ME GOD.

Kindly do not forget this one, either:

"I, (state your name), having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of ________________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of The United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter. So help me God. "

[archy]

February 10th, 2004 District of Columbia Republican Presidential Preference Caucuses, Tennessee Presidential Primary (Open), Virginia Democratic Presidential Primary (Open)

I'm just now back from voting today, after a stop for a cold soft drink to wash the awful taste in my mouth.">

-archy-/-

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thank you for the Army oath. I didn't know that separate branches had different oaths.

Sorry about your local elections. That must have been a very unpleasant ad:

ERROR: 404
Page Not Found

The page you are trying to access on commercialappeal.com is no longer at this location.

I am grateful for that today. (^:

[archy]

Thank you for the Army oath. I didn't know that separate branches had different oaths.

Not quite, Rags; that's the oath an officer takes, per ...having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States....

I believe it's essentially the same for all services with the name of the appropriate service changed, but I can tell you for a certainty it's the one the Army uses.

Sorry about your local elections. That must have been a very unpleasant ad:

Almost: it was a news report on how well Kerry had done today in Virginia and Tennessee. But there's a rumble that Clark may now bow out.

[weegee]

Servicemen Absentee Ballots BUMP