Online voting offers alternative [every military vote counts!]

Air Force Link ^ | Staff Sgt. Jeff Schoen

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Online voting offers alternative

by Staff Sgt. Jeff Schoen
Air Force Reserve Command Public Affairs

11/25/2003 - ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFPN) -- Potentially hundreds of airmen serving worldwide may be eligible to vote online in 2004 based on a major government initiative to simplify the absentee-ballot process.

The secure electronic registration and voting experiment program is part of the Federal Voting Assistance Program. Program organizers hope the experiment will encourage as many as 100,000 absentee voters, including reservists stationed worldwide, to register and vote in state primaries and the general election in 2004.

The initiative is designed to improve access to the polls for military people and American citizens overseas who have had difficulty receiving and returning ballots in the past because of mail transit time and their mobility. In 2000, a post-election survey found that almost 30 percent either did not receive a ballot at all or received it too late.

"It is extremely important for us to ensure that every servicemember is afforded the opportunity to vote," said Lt. Col. Deborah Divich, voting assistance officer for the Air Force Reserve Command.

So far, more than 50 counties from seven states are expected to participate in the online program. They include Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah and Washington.

Counties participating are available online at www.serveusa.gov.

If a county or state is not participating in the online program, people can still cast their vote by submitting a federal post card application to their local election official, Divich said. Every wing in the Air Force has a voting assistance officer to help servicemembers with the absentee voting process, she said.

For help filling out the application, people should contact their unit voting assistance officer or visit www.fvap.gov. (Courtesy of AFRC News Service)

 

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

The secure electronic registration and voting experiment program is part of the Federal Voting Assistance Program. Program organizers hope the experiment will encourage as many as 100,000 absentee voters, including reservists stationed worldwide, to register and vote in state primaries and the general election in 2004.

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Heads up, esp. Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah and Washington Freepers serving.

[Stopislamnow]

Just a word of experience.

The military did very little to encourage voting when I was in, in fact it was exceptionally difficult to get any help at all.

Hope this is a step in the right direction, robbing the people who serve us in such a way of thier vote is very nearly the worst thing I have ever seen.

[mark502inf]

In 2000, a post-election survey found that almost 30 percent either did not receive a ballot at all or received it too late.

I was one of them; was on a remote assignment--requested my absentee ballot in September, received it the Thursday after the election. Part of the problem was transit time, but my ballot was also mailed late due to local wrangling over ballot proposals. Wrote a letter to the mayor of my hometown & they changed the city's absentee ballot process to get them out earlier. The solution is often local.

[PhiKapMom]

The Air Force is active in getting ballots to their members with each major office having a voting officer. My daughter who is in the Navy could not find a voting officer and I had to make sure she got her absentee ballot.

Believe on-line voting is the way to go, then people know their votes will be recorded and counted unlike FL where the Miami post office stamped outer envelopes and the counties through out the military ballots because they alleged they were received after the deadline. The RATs cannot get much lower then not allowing military ballots to count!

[mgist]

Do you have to be out of the country to request an absentee ballot?

[blackie]

Online voting offers alternative [every military vote counts!] ~ Bump!

[Goldwater Girl]

It is far from universal for our overseas military, but surely a step in the right direction. Florida had 3 counties in 2000- a pilot program to work out the bugs, and it worked extremely well- but was horrifically expensive per vote cast. There will be 6 counties in 2004- including Dade.

DoD installs the secure data transmission line in the county supervisor's office, and writes the security guidelines for them to follow. They provide all the hardware, too. The folks in civilized places overseas, like Germany, Italy and UK (and their dependents) can use it without problem- but it's iffy for the combat troops in Iraq or Afghanistan. Maybe they've worked out the bugs- it had to do with on site computer security overseas, as I recall. The Air Force and Navy personnel have the best shot among the combat folks.
I have spoken to so many outraged active duty people whose Florida votes were discarded because of Gore's challenges- we HAVE to be sure that never happens again. This is sure to help.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

robbing the people who serve us in such a way of thier vote is very nearly the worst thing I have ever seen.

It shouldn't happen. America, most of America (armed America) was outraged on behalf of our troops in 2000.

That was pre-911. DNC tries it again, and they risk civil war, imho.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Wrote a letter to the mayor of my hometown & they changed the city's absentee ballot process to get them out earlier. The solution is often local.

Good attitude.

I admit that the DNC letter giving false instructions to absentee ballot handlers in Florida was lower than anything I thought the Dems. would do.

We let you guys down on the homefront.

It won't happen in 2004.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

the fvap link ~ last paragraph.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Check (the fvap link)

Ooops!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

I have spoken to so many outraged active duty people whose Florida votes were discarded because of Gore's challenges- we HAVE to be sure that never happens again. This is sure to help.

Amen. Thanks for the info, GG.

[PhilDragoo]

"It is extremely important for us to ensure that every servicemember is afforded the opportunity to vote," said Lt. Col. Deborah Divich, voting assistance officer for the Air Force Reserve Command.

Tom Daschle is deeply saddened.

[supercat]

Actually, using on-line vote reporting for things like military polling places makes a lot of sense. Paper ballots can be cast and kept for audits, while encrypted electronic vote tallies can be sent in before the paper ballots arrive. Unlike most "on-line" voting systems where the voters' equipment is not secure, maintaining security over the military's voting equipment should be entirely practical.

[quietolong]

Bull! This is just a way to get more RAT votes! Can you say hacked vote fraud!

[SaucyCranberry]

Do you have to be out of the country to request an absentee ballot?


No, you can be anywhere away of your voting home of record, whether CONUS or abroad, and still use the absentee ballot. I'm "just the spouse" and also vote that way, too.

[NonValueAdded]

Yeah, hopefully those Voting Assistance Officers will take their duties seriously this time around.

[lilylangtree]

The owl gores of the political arena won't be able to discount the military vote. Hot diggity dog!