Posted on 11/03/2006 5:40:32 AM PST by gridlock
WASHINGTON A New Jersey congressman raised questions Thursday about a new military voting program that lets service members request and submit their ballots by fax or e-mail.
The Defense Department, however, said the program is as secure as possible, and any risks are detailed for the military members when they access the e-mail system.
In a letter to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Democratic Rep. Rush Holt said the electronic registration and voting service is well-intentioned, but could expose troops to identity theft, or allow hackers or others to tamper with the ballots when they are in transit.
"After the Defense Department was stopped from implementing a program like this two years ago because it was full of security holes, I'm angry and astonished that they're doing it again without review, scrutiny, and oversight," said Holt.
He said that while U.S. military personnel should participate in the political process, "no one is served by introducing possibilities for error, insecurity, and fraud."
Pentagon spokeswoman Cynthia Smith said the Defense Department has set up a secure absentee voter program that will allow military members to request and receive absentee ballots. The new program, she said, lets people vote without relying on the regular mail system.
As part of the program, many states allow military members deployed overseas to return their completed ballot via fax or the Internet. Those ballots, Smith said, will not pass through the hands of any government officials until they are received by a local election authority.
"The e-mail-to-fax operation does have risks, but we have taken every precaution to limit those risks," said Smith. She said U.S. service members have been told of the potential privacy concerns with the system, so they can make an informed choice about whether to use the program.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Donks never change. If they can win by disenfranchising the military vote, they will do so in a heartbeat.
Note that Congressman Holt is launching his offensive just days before the election.
After the Kerry incident, this is REALLY playing with fire. They keep giving us all these gifts and it's not even Christmas yet!
What they're really pissed about is the Dems tried to hack into the system to hijack the votes and it appears that they couldn't, so they are 'questioning' the system because it is convenient.......
Let me see if I've got this right.
Allowing military men to vote by absentee ballot is "full of security holes" but allowing illegals and dead people to vote is not.
Sounds like Donkey logic.
I can only hope the American people can be alerted of this dichotomy by the news media.
(crickets chirping)
Let me guess. A democrat? Do they really want to make matters worse with the military, right now?
Gee ... does this mean Dems are for Voter ID now?
Neal Boortz perspective on this "story":
http://boortz.com/nuze/200611/11032006.html#votes
This must be their November surprise.
So the Dem position is ID checks for military voters only?
With the great track record of military votes getting lost, missing the last airplane out, arriving to late to count, why in the heck wouldn't the Dims want to stop an efficent way to vote?
This POS use to be my congressmen. I had to move to the Caribbean to get away from him, he is an A**.
A trick earlier learned from the Gore/Lieberman campaign. You remember Joe, don't you? The same guy some FReepers would gladly welcome to the G.O.P.
The stalinist left cries big wet tears over the "poor, dumb troops"--no body armor, no up-armored HumVees, no ammo, no this, no that. Oh and by the way fellas, while you're in Iraq or any other God forsaken part of the world, any effort to cast a vote in the country you are defending will be slapped down. Courtesy of same stalinist left.
Patriots to Holt: sit down and shut up.
I hope this story gets traction. It is part of the same pattern John Kerry showed when insulting the troops. After all, the soldiers are uneducated and lazy slackers. Why should we let them vote?
Illegals and the dead vote Democrat. Soldiers tend to vote Republican. That's all you need to know.
Though you would think the dead would be natural Republicans, what with Presiden't Bush's phasing out of the Death Tax, and all. Why aren't the dead voting their own interests?
You think these guys are going to be able to figure out a Butterfly Ballot?
Disenfranchise the military, and give felons the right to vote. And no checking of IDs! Hypocrisy thy name is Democrat!
Wrong - Kerry and the democraps are afraid the military is so stupid they won't vote for them.
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