How can a state or any entity “opt out” of allowing a citizen to have a ballot to vote if that citizen wants that ballot? Many of our Military have not received ballots for the November 6th General/Presidential election because some states willingly and knowingly broke Federal law and failed to get ballots in the mail 45 days before the election. Those states are Vermont, Michigan, Mississippi and Wisconsin. Shame on them. An IG report is even worse, saying that two-thirds…TWO-THIRDS…of Military voters may not receive an opportunity to vote because they need assistance to do so, and that assistance is no where to be found. Where are We The People standing on the steps of our Capitol buildings?
In August 2010, before the important House and Senate races, the same thing happened, but Holder allowed some states to opt-out of the law. Now how do you opt out of giving a citizen a ballot to vote if they want one?
Here’s how to do it: Get those ballots on as many jets as needed, filled with members of the US House and Senate, and members of the state Congress’, all wearing flak jackets and helmets, and let them walk those ballots to the warriors all over Helmand Province and in every war zone and Military presence anywhere in the world denied their right to vote. Only Congress can stop the lawlessness, because the MOVE Act (Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act) is Federal.
Here again is another letter (in 2010 Senator John Cornyn sent his letter) from Congressmen McKeon (R-CA), Lungren (R-CA), Smith (R-TX):
“We are concerned that, absent prompt and effective remedial action, some men and women in uniform will be deprived of the 45-day window to vote guaranteed by the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act. While implementation and enforcement of the MOVE Act appear on course as an improvement over the poor performance we saw in the 2010 elections, we are concerned about the currently reported shortcomings. If any element of local, state or federal government does not abide by the MOVE Act, the result should not ever be the disenfranchisement of any member of the armed services.” Source: Breitbart
The letter also queries whether the Department of Defense has set up appropriate “assistance offices.” With the atrocious politics in play in the DOD today, the question, once unthinkable, is now a suspicion.
“Researchers from the Overseas Vote Foundation found that nearly one-third of military and civilian voters living outside the country could not successfully cast a ballot in 2010 because of mismailed paperwork, too-tight deadlines and other common frustrations,” the newspaper reported. “In 2008, it was almost half of those surveyed.”…
The new voter-registration offices were supposed to help servicemen cut through all the paperwork and exercise one of the rights they were sworn to protect. But the offices were expensive, and the MOVE Act didn’t allocate an additional dime.
That’s bad enough, but what happened in the implementation of the program was outrageous – starting with the fact that officials with the Federal Voting Assistance Program apparently can’t count.
They reported to Congress in September 2011 that 224 U.S. facilities worldwide required “installation voting assistance offices,” according to a report from the Defense Department’s Inspector General.
“However, the list of 224 installations did not include major bases in the United States, such as Fort Meade, Maryland, or bases in overseas locations, such as Germany and Korea,” the IG found. “Further, the list of 224 contained duplications or bases that were consolidated or closed as a result of the Base Closure and Realignment Commission.”
So far, so bad.
Then the Inspector General tried to contact the offices, which are required under the law to provide walk-in, face-to-face, full-service assistance.
The IG tried telephone and email. It left messages. It used installation websites or directory assistance to find other numbers. If, after three days, it hadn’t received a response, it considered the attempts a failure.
The IG’s efforts failed more than 50 percent of the time….
The organization figures that about two-thirds of servicemembers and their families will need to vote absentee.
The IG reports blames it all on funding – $15M to $20M EVERY YEAR is supposedly needed. Tell me that is not rotten bureaucracy?
Just stop the lawlessness. Find a way to get these ballots to the troops and get them back in time to be counted by November 6th. Just do it. Get Busy!