Will Overseas Military Have Their Votes Counted?

[HorseArcher]

I'm outraged by this, does this disgust any of you as well? ...these guys fighting these bloody wars and they don't have a "clear idea" if their votes will be counted?




Will Overseas Military Have Their Votes Counted?

You may recall that in July columnist Robert Novak made the startling assertion that many overseas military personnel might not have their votes counted in this year's election. Novak noted that according to the Federal Election Assistance Commission overseas and absentee military voting rates were only 5.5% for the 2006 mid-term elections. Based on these figures, some, including Judicial Watch, began to question whether the Department of Defense is doing what it should to make sure that members of the American Armed Forces stationed overseas will be able to cast their votes.

Here's a bit more from Novak's article, which can be read in its entirety here:

"Nobody who has studied the question objectively thinks there has been any improvement since 2006, and that is a scandal. Retired Marine Corps Capt. Charles Henry wrote in the July issue of the U.S. Naval Institute's Proceedings Magazine: 'While virtually everyone involved . . . seems to agree that military people deserve at least equal opportunity when it comes to having their votes counted, indications are that in November 2008, many thousands of service members who try to vote will do so in vain.'"

Following the Novak article, on August 7, 2008, Judicial Watch filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Department of Defense to obtain as much information as possible regarding the voting process for overseas military personnel.

The Department of Defense failed to respond to our request within legally mandated 20-day period forcing Judicial Watch to file a lawsuit on Wednesday.

It is beyond shameless that we are now less than three weeks out from the 2008 elections and we still do not know whether military personnel and their families stationed overseas will be able to exercise effectively their basic right to vote. What a scandal it will be if large numbers of our overseas military do not have their votes counted this Election Day. You can be sure we will continue to press the Defense Department to stop stonewalling so the American people can know with confidence that the voting rights of the American Armed Forces are protected. It is the least we can do for those who pay the price for our freedoms, which, of course, includes the right to vote. I'd be interested in hearing from military members and their families about this issue so please contact us with any concerns or experiences you'd like to share.

http://www.judicialwatch.org/weeklyu...-names#anchor1

[C-Rob]

wow, I'm for even felons to vote, why would anyone even QUESTION if the MILITARY'S votes were going to be counted?!

[MathiasOfAthens]

I know my brothers already voted, im still waiting for my ballot. Bollocks.
________
Lenya

[Sphere]

I would theorize that the problem lies in having 51 (50 states + Washington DC) different voter registration systems and 436 different ballots (435 congressional districts + Washington DC) that the military has to sort out. Thats a big headache, but it should be solveable.

[Captain Jin]

I was in boot camp during the 2004 election and we never got our absentee ballots, I did receive one now and I am currently overseas but not in austere location. I dont think my buddies in Afghanistan got any such thing so no one in 2/7 will likely be voting, but I could be wrong.

[imb39]

A mess worthy of the MoD!

[Каие]

Am I understanding this correctly, only 5.5% of Army votes were counted in 2006 midterms?

[ajm317]

Am I understanding this correctly, only 5.5% of Army votes were counted in 2006 midterms?

No, it's saying only 5.5% of the people in the army voted, which is not quite the same thing, but still surely the result of a great injustice, as I have to assume more than 5.5% wanted to vote.

It's not that they voted and the votes were dumped in a trash can, it's that for whatever reason they didn't get their ballots.

[The Good]

Why shouldn't the AMERICAN [citizen] soldiers serving overseas be allowed to vote? To deny them that privilege, is like treating them as second (or third?) class citizens, inferior, those those living their lives in the states.

[Admiral Nelson]

Why shouldn't the AMERICAN [citizen] soldiers serving overseas be allowed to vote? To deny them that privilege, is like treating them as second (or third?) class citizens, inferior, those those living their lives in the states.

I'm not defending the practice, but many countries don't allow military personnel to vote, since they work on behalf on the public interest, and shouldn't dominate it.

[Heinz Guderian]

@OP: there aint that many US serviceman abroad in other countries? Surely?

[Rapax]

I'm not defending the practice, but many countries don't allow military personnel to vote, since they work on behalf on the public interest, and shouldn't dominate it.

Really? What countries are those that take away a citizens basic right to vote just because they become soldiers?

[Shi Huangdi]

I'm not defending the practice, but many countries don't allow military personnel to vote, since they work on behalf on the public interest, and shouldn't dominate it.

So what? The military are part of the public.

This situation is ridiculous--we have ACORN running around registering every sucker they can lay their grubby hands on, and yet the best of us--our men and women in uniform on the battlefield--are disenfranchised. It is an outrage and I hope that the military will get to vote this year.

[Red_Praetoria]

Risking your life over there under the flag of a country that you dont get to vote for even though your a citizen. If everyone(citizens) else in the US has the right to vote these guys ought to aswell.

BTW im curious do criminals have the right to vote? Are there any other conditons that would deny you a vote?

[JP226]

@OP: there aint that many US serviceman abroad in other countries? Surely?

thre are a couple hundred thousand overseas but the vast majroity are in the US.

[Каие]

thre are a couple hundred thousand overseas but the vast majroity are in the US.

Are you serious? There are hundreds of thousands of US soldiers in other countries.

Guys...take...a...joke. It's Heinz.

We're still occupying Germany for christ sakes.

I assure you, you aren't doing it for christs sake.

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No, it's saying only 5.5% of the people in the army voted, which is not quite the same thing, but still surely the result of a great injustice, as I have to assume more than 5.5% wanted to vote.

It's not that they voted and the votes were dumped in a trash can, it's that for whatever reason they didn't get their ballots.

America is cool.

[Sidmen]

@OP: there aint that many US serviceman abroad in other countries? Surely?

Are you serious? There are hundreds of thousands of US soldiers in other countries.

We're still occupying Germany for christ sakes.

[Rapax]

We're still occupying Germany for christ sakes.

Good God.
You are not occupying Germany. You operate bases there under an agreement with the German Government.

[Sidmen]

Good God.
You are not occupying Germany. You operate bases there under an agreement with the German Government.

Sure, just like how we aren't occupying every nation we've ever conquered.

[Rapax]

Sure, just like how we aren't occupying every nation we've ever conquered.

Well I'm not surprised anymore why americans constantly bring up Germany and Japan as an argument to support Iraq occupation.