Overseas troops to be screwed by largely Blue States
Mr Wolf sent us a link to a story out of Colorado this morning that some states, mostly Democrat-leaning states, are planning to screw absentee voters (read that: active duty soldiers serving overseas) out of their right to have a voice in the government that sends them to war;
Spokesman Rich Coolidge said the ballots will still be mailed, but some soldiers in remote battlefields might not have enough time to mail them back, even though the state will give them an extra seven days after the election. He said they can also send them by e-mail or fax.
Coolidge blamed late primaries and petition deadlines. He said ballots for the Aug. 10 primary also went out under short notice, but the 45-day deadline doesn’t apply to those elections.
Bob Carey, federal voting assistance program director for the Department of Defense, said waiver requests have been received from Washington, New York, Hawaii, Alaska, the Virgin Islands, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.
Of course the waiver they’re talking about is to the law that Obama signed last year – but there were enough loopholes in the law, states are allowed to apply for exceptions to the rule. yet another excuse for ballots to arrive late to the troops.
You’d think that VoteVets, IAVA and IVAW would be jumping all over this, but, sadly, no they’re not. I’m sure TSO will have something to add since this is one of his principal issues.
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Congress sucks, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Liberals suck
And this surprises anyone because?
For me the issue became crystal clear during the last election cycle when Governor Ed Rendell (D-PA) did everything he could to disallow the overseas military vote. I have never forgiven him, and while I see him on tv often criticizing Obama or the national Dems policies I have never forgiven him.
Having always lived by a motto a parents taught me, that being if you don’t vote you can’t bitch, I have always tried my darnedest to vote. I realize that the absentee votes often are not counted if the margin of victory for candidates is greater then the number of outstanding absentee votes, but still I would send in my vote. When you try to disallow votes out of hand then that is wrong and the fact that it affects overseas deployed soldiers more so then civilians working abroad is just egregious.
BTW Rendell is not the only governor who has tried to disallow the military vote, he is just the one that has really stuck in my mind because of the way in which he did it.
You might be able to provide some enlightenment for me. Does the military help their folks vote? Or is it up to the soldiers to make thier own arrangements to vote?
Thanks!
The Army provides voting assistance officers all the way down to the company level. A company sized element is normally around 100 people. They assist in getting the service member to request their absentee ballots, keep up with the various deadlines for the different states and assist in making sure that ballots are received and sent back in a timely manner.
It is up to the servicemember to be informed about the candidates as well as knowing when the elections are being held in their state. The elections officers can help with any particular rules concerning the casting of ballots that may apply to certain states such as signing sworn affidavits or standing on your right leg while raising your left hand and signing the ballot with the pen held in your mouth or any of the more unusual requirements states may have. The rules vary from state to state and in some cases can be hard to navigate.
I remember one case in which due to a typo one state required a sworn statement to be included but it must be signed AFTER the ballot was sealed in an envelope with the statement you were required to sign.
Thanks for the info. I did wonder how that was done.
The envelope with my absentee ballot arrived as we were rotating out in December, weeks after the election.
When I was voting absentee from New Mexico (a very conservative part of it) I never had any trouble getting a ballot well before the election. Any voter registration or election official who tells you that they can’t get a ballot mailed out 45-60 days before an election is fuller of shit than a Christmas turkey.
Liberals, take note–I was pretty much apolitical while I was on AD. It took the Florida recounts and the Dems shitcanning as many of my brother’s and sister’s votes for the most flimsy of reason that pushed me to where I am. Consider that before you disparage another group of veterans again–and rest assured, there WILL be a backlash if you try to disenfranchise the military vote.
I never had any issues. However, I was usually in the field at my duty station so it wasn’t a big deal. When I was deployed there were no elections going on so I have no experience with trying to vote from a combat zone.
The only thing Demo-rats like about troops is f*ckin’ them over!
Where is Mullen, Gates, and Petraeus? Isn’t it their job to take care of our Troops?
And I agree where is the IAVA?
AHAHAHHA! Love the tag…Liberals suck.
Rich Coolidge’s comment about late primaries and deadlines is a bunk! I’ve been voting in Colorado since 1994. The primary date has ALWAYS been either the first or second Tuesday of August.
The primary date for 2010 was set BEFORE the new federal law was signed last October.
The CO Sec of State’s office upgraded their computer system – twice – over the last 10 years. Surely some *cough* smart person there has kept the file of our soldiers APA addresses up to date . . . and perhaps that is wishful thinking on my part.
That being said – there is no excuse for what CO is doing. They just wanna keep sitting on their hands and disenfranchise a pretty significant voting block.