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TEWSPilot Admiral
Joined: 26 Aug 2004 Posts: 1235 Location: Kansas (Transplanted Texan)
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Posted: Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:41 pm Post subject: Default Denying of the Military Vote...Again |
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One would think that after all this time SOMEONE in the Pentagon would have TRIED to solve this problem...or would they? "Don't Ask, Don't Vote, soldier!"...dismissed.
Quote: | Complicated process deters soldiers, dependents from voting
Conservative columnist and political analyst John Fund believes two-thirds of the military personnel serving overseas will not be able to vote this presidential election because of bureaucratic red tape.
Recently The Associated Press reported that during the 2006 midterm elections, only 30 percent of the overseas military votes were counted, according to data from the Pew Center on the States and the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, the latter of which monitors election problems. The article said many ballots arrived late, some were not filled out properly, some were mailed to the wrong location, and some -- for whatever reason -- were not mailed back at all. It also added states and local election districts that have competing, and sometimes confounding, rules governing overseas ballots are contributing to the confusion.
John Fund is a columnist for The Wall Street Journal and recently published a book titled Stealing Elections: How Voter Fraud Threatens Our Democracy. He believes most overseas service personnel will not be able to vote for America's commander-in-chief in 2008.
"About two-thirds of America's servicemen simply find the bureaucratic obstacle of getting the ballot mailed to them, having time to fill it out, and mailing it back in time to be counted [to be] very difficult," Fund explains. "So we have about two-million Americans living abroad -- most of them servicemen and their dependents -- and about two-thirds of them will end up not voting...some because they choose not to, and some because it's simply too complicated."
Fund contends that in a close election, the military vote could be the difference in whether U.S. troops stay in battle or are brought home. |
_________________ Find the perfect babysitter, petsitter, or tutor -- today! |
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BuffaloJack Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 10 Aug 2004 Posts: 1637 Location: Buffalo, New York
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Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 11:20 am Post subject: |
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My personal opinion:
Only military personnel on active duty should have the right to absentee voting. All others, without exception, should be required to show up in person and with ID. It you are too busy to go vote or are on vacation or out of the country business then that's too bad, you don't get to vote. _________________ Swift Boats - Qui Nhon (12/69-4/70), Cat Lo (4/70-5/70), Vung Tau (5/70-12/71) |
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zinfella Rear Admiral
Joined: 19 Aug 2004 Posts: 708 Location: Mesa, Az
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Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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BuffaloJack wrote: | My personal opinion:
Only military personnel on active duty should have the right to absentee voting. All others, without exception, should be required to show up in person and with ID. It you are too busy to go vote or are on vacation or out of the country business then that's too bad, you don't get to vote. |
I think that their eligible families should be included if they're outside of the US along with active duty folks. _________________ No whiners! |
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baldeagle PO2
Joined: 27 Oct 2004 Posts: 362 Location: Grand Saline, Texas
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Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:14 pm Post subject: |
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That's a mite harsh, Jack.
How about their families who are on accompanied tours with them, (like my granddaughter with her Marine Hubby in Iwakuni, Japan)?
Or our Embassy staffs stationed all over the world?
Or DOD civillian employees serving alongside the servicemen in faraway lands like Iraq and Afghanistan?
Or employees of American companies serving in corporate offices overseas?
Or contract employees serving with companies supporting the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan?
& numerous other citizens out of the country for one reason or another who find it financially or otherwise difficult to travel home just long enough to vote? _________________ "In a word, I want an American character, that the powers of Europe may be convinced we act for ourselves and not for others; this, in my judgment, is the only way to be respected abroad and happy at home." --George Washington |
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zinfella Rear Admiral
Joined: 19 Aug 2004 Posts: 708 Location: Mesa, Az
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Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 4:58 pm Post subject: |
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You're right, I forgot about those out of the country with legitimate reason. We don't want to abridge their rights either. However, in the case of active duty military, I think that the military and government should bend over backwards to make it easy for service members to vote. _________________ No whiners! |
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BuffaloJack Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
Joined: 10 Aug 2004 Posts: 1637 Location: Buffalo, New York
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Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 11:07 am Post subject: |
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You guys are right. Include families and civillians in the service to our country. I'd include and government employee or dependent, and contractors if authorized, but these people who are on vacation or working abroad because they want to, just do without.
If a few people are inconvenienced then that is the price for wiping out voter fraud; they can vote in the very next election where ther can make it in to the polling place. _________________ Swift Boats - Qui Nhon (12/69-4/70), Cat Lo (4/70-5/70), Vung Tau (5/70-12/71) |
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TEWSPilot Admiral
Joined: 26 Aug 2004 Posts: 1235 Location: Kansas (Transplanted Texan)
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Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2008 1:14 am Post subject: |
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If you remember, Clinton ordered several units in Florida to deploy on training exercises AFTER the time they could have voted absentee but BEFORE they could go to the polls and vote early in person, and you remember the legion of lawyers the Democrats sent to make sure their votes didn't get counted. They also made it virtually impossible for them to get to polls, and even ships on the seas that collected votes and tried to fly them ashore to be counted were prohibited. I prefer to give the military extra breaks, not take them away. It's not easy for active duty military to get to the polls even stateside. If ACORN can bus drunks and dopeheads and homeless to the polls, we can make reasonable accommodations for our military. _________________ Find the perfect babysitter, petsitter, or tutor -- today! |
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