Posted on 10/02/2004 12:46:52 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Amid new evidence that civilians lagged far behind soldiers in voting from abroad four years ago, political operatives on both sides of the presidential campaign raced this week to help Americans overseas cast their ballots in time for next month's election.
Sixty percent of the overseas military voted in the 2000 election, up from 53 percent in 1996, according to a new Pentagon report obtained yesterday by The New York Times. At the same time, voting by civilians dropped to 22 percent from 29 percent, the report said.
Civilians' low participation rate is raising fears among Democrats who believe that these estimated 3.9 million eligible voters are more likely than members of the military to support John Kerry over President Bush. It is also fueling concern that the Federal Voting Assistance Program, which the Pentagon manages for all overseas voters, may be doing more to help the estimated 500,000 members of the military overseas. Pentagon officials have denied such accusations.
In a meeting with Pentagon aides Wednesday, Democratic Party officials who were briefed on the participation rates urged the voting program managers to post substitute federal write-in ballots on the Internet and so make it easier for civilians who are having trouble getting absentee ballots from their home states.
Local election offices in at least 8 of 15 swing states had failed to mail out their ballots by Sept. 19, the cutoff for ensuring that those ballots can be mailed back in time to be counted.
The Pentagon activated a system last week that will enable military voters to obtain their regular ballots from their local election offices instantly through a new Internet site, myballot.mil. The Pentagon said it could not open the system to civilians because it was employing a military database to confirm the identities of users and did not have the means to check civilians.
"American citizens abroad should be extended equal rights," said Jack Corrigan, an adviser to the Democratic National Committee who attended the Pentagon meeting.
Mr. Corrigan quoted Pentagon officials as saying that while they could not offer the same balloting service to civilians, they would look into posting the substitute federal write-in ballot. The substitute write-in ballot is also available from embassies and consulates, but voting assistance groups say some outposts are running out of forms.
A Pentagon spokesman confirmed yesterday that the request that the ballot be posted online was being considered. In previous interviews, program officials defended their efforts and denied that they were favoring military voters.
A group supporting Mr. Kerry, Americans Overseas for Kerry, said it would post the ballot on its own Web site.
"We consulted with our lawyers, and they said the worst that could happen is that local election officials would reject them," said Jim Brenner, the group's executive director.
The group Republicans Abroad said it planned to run advertisements in numerous international newspapers urging Americans overseas to cast their votes immediately by obtaining a write-in ballot.
Leaders of the Senate Armed Services Committee, meanwhile, sent a memorandum to secretaries of state on Thursday urging them to see that their ballots are mailed out to military personnel as soon as possible, and to consider various options, including the new myballot.mil. project, to resolve mailing problems. The Pentagon said that it had signed up 10 states to participate in the effort but that 23 others had declined to do so, citing various concerns including security.
Another overseas voting advocacy group, the nonpartisan Overseasvote2004, said it had forwarded concerns to the State Department about information provided by several of its outposts abroad. The group said that the United States Embassy in Argentina had a recorded message telling voters they had to register to vote three months before the election, and that people calling the embassy in the Dominican Republic were told they needed to register before obtaining a ballot but were not given information about registering. A State Department spokesman did not return calls yesterday seeking comment.
Asked about the declining participation among civilians, Mr. Corrigan, the Democratic adviser, said the party was confident that Mr. Kerry would do well among military voters and that civilian participation would rise this year.
"I don't know what happened in 2000," he said.
I WOULD EXPECT the Pentagon to assist our military first, ahead of concerns for expats who, if they were so inclined, could have been involved sooner and sent in their votes at the corner post office.
I wonder if they have the same concerns about illegal aliens in this country voting.
I doubt Kerry minds where the votes come from - as long as they go in his column.
I studied aborad in 1988. To ensure my ballot was received I sent it Overnight Mail from Belgium. They Rats want to be able to use regular postage. If the right to vote is so important to them they should spend the friggin 15 bucks to overnight it.
My info is that the US Department of Justice and the FBI are co-ordinating voter fraud problems and reports with local registrars and DAs.
As this is a federal criminal felony I wonder who many of either party will attempt to slip in fraudulent voters with a 5 year federal prison sentence hanging over each case of voter fraud.
A crooked voter will get 5 years per fraudulent vote and there is no early parole in federal prisons.
Therfore any person who voted illegally 3 times on November 2nd or bu absentee ballot would be facing 15 years in a federal prison with no chance of parole.
Kinda makes slicksters and scammers in both parties think again.
Will an illegal alien love doing 5 years of hard time in a federal prison for voting just once illegally?
2004 will be the beginning of the end of voter fraud schemes and scams.
Two members of ACT are now awaiting trial for voter fraud on federal charges.
Then the state gets a bite at their apple to add more years in the state pen when then finish their 5 year federal stretch.
About time.
South Dakota is a federal target for voter fraud as is Ohio and Florida and Pennsylvania.
Also big fines on top of the 5 year prison sentences per each illegal vote.
A private group is also now offering $1000-$5000 each as a reward or bounty for every person turned in and nailed for vote fraud.
ACLU is going nuts over this!
Newspaper Friday said 10 people have already been arrested here on this same voter fraud scam.
I know some PI's and Re-Po guys getting in on this new income bonanza.
It works for me!
I'm not even sure why ex-Pat's should get to vote. They've left the country of their own volition and no longer reside in any state, so they are not citizens of any state.
"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State in which they reside." (Amendment 14)
Ex-pats are not enumerated in the census.
Military and government employees, on the other hand, are on temporary overseas assignment for the benefit of the United States.
Seems like a world of difference to me.
Don't fret Kerry's sister is over in Australia busily underming Bush and being the Jane Fonda for Iraq.
There are also many civilians who work overseas for a short time. I've done it myself.
These people have not "left the US" in most cases. They are people who have taken jobs for one of several reasons - earning more money, getting some exposure to other cultures, taking a break, etc. They aren't people who have rejected the US.
Yes, it is about time they started doing something to catch and prosecute these cheating voters!
I hope people turn them in for rewards and the cheating voters get fined or even jailed!!
Hidden cameras in the polling places will be a big help!
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