The 2010 debacle involving military ballots just became surreal.Posted on 10/12/2010 7:53:01 AM PDT by Kaslin
Despite a federal law requiring military ballots to mail by 9/18, military ballots across New York have not mailed as of today. The Justice Department has done nothing but talk about it.
The 2010 debacle involving military ballots just became surreal.
New York City and Westchester Country are but two of the several New York jurisdictions which admitted that they failed to mail military ballots. This fact should have been known on October 2, when the Justice Department should have marched into court seeking an immediate order that the ballots be sent — preferably by rapid express mail.
Instead, a Justice Department press flack says they are in “urgent discussions.” Great. Congress should ask why they aren’t in urgent “litigation.” New York had already received a waiver, which DOJ supported, allowing the state to mail ballots on October 1. They couldn’t even meet that relaxed deadline.
In 2008, the Justice Department engaged in Keystone Kops enforcement of military voting rights. Their failure to enforce, aggressively, federal laws protecting military voters resulted in 17,000 wasted, late, or lost military ballots. Amazingly, Justice Department enforcement of military voting rights has only gotten worse in 2010.
This deterioration wouldn’t have anything to do with the change in administrations, would it?
Senator John Cornyn of Texas laid down the gauntlet this past weekend to Fox News:
If DOJ does not file a suit to right this wrong as soon as the courts open on Tuesday, then we will know once and for all that DOJ is not serious about safeguarding military voting rights.
Cornyn has particular interest in military voting rights. He has blocked the nomination of James Cole for deputy attorney general because of the lax enforcement of military voting rights. He has asked for basic information from Justice — which Justice has been unwilling to provide — about which states are not in compliance with the law. Now, we learn that DOJ obviously didn’t know about New York (and Illinois).
Even if DOJ rushes to sue New York on Tuesday, Cornyn shouldn’t expect much. DOJ sued other states like Wisconsin, and then rewrote the federal statute Cornyn sponsored in a settlement that shortened the congressional mandate of 45 days.
The worst part of this? Justice knew, or should have known, months ago which states were not in compliance with the law. Months ago, election officials in many states like Maryland and Wisconsin literally made statements that they would not be in compliance with the law. Justice did nothing but sit and wait.
Knowing firsthand the problems which plague enforcement of military voting rights inside Justice, former DOJ Voting Section lawyer Eric Eversole has set up the Military Voter Protection Project. Instead of relying on the DOJ, Eversole has his own operation with teams of law students around the country investigating compliance. Private citizens are picking up the ball the DOJ has dropped.
And it has paid off. The private MVP Project detected the fact that Illinois failed to mail military ballots before DOJ had a clue. (Does it surprise anyone that a private sector effort has better results than the government counterpart?)
DOJ inaction was foreshadowed in a February 2010 speech by Justice voting officials to state election officials. According to state election officials who were present, the Justice official told the assembled crowd that the federal law protecting military voters was “ambiguous.” Further, the DOJ official told the audience that they wanted to avoid litigation to protect military voters, and that it would be the very last thing DOJ would consider.
No kidding. Obviously the state officials got the message: across the nation, military voters are suffering from a nationwide lack of compliance with the law. And the DOJ has filed exactly one lawsuit seeking to enforce the law … against Guam. All of the other lawsuits, such as against Wisconsin, have come after lousy settlement agreements have been reached.
I believe there is very little that can be done to alter this institutional sloth in the three weeks before the election. Citizens can, of course, petition the Voting Section (800-253-3931) and ask to speak to the person in charge of military voting protection. There is a chance the callers will view the problem more seriously than the government officials. Let me guess: the DOJ will say they are doing a great job.
Former Voting Section attorneys are working closely with members of Congress, leaving no doubt as to what the institutional problems are inside Justice. These problems should be eliminated after strict congressional oversight in 2011. If not next year, then in January 2013.
Meanwhile, DOJ paints a rosy picture of the great job they are doing to protect military voters. But the facts prove otherwise. Just ask a Marine from Brooklyn.
don’t expect anything to happen on this before the election
What a surprise!!
Has anyone checked California to see if those liberals send them out?
” don’t expect anything to happen on this before the election “
Donning the ol’ tin-foil-hat —
” Feds to Sue New York Board Over Military Voting Violations, State Official Says “
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2605953/posts
What would be the fallout from a leftist judge issuing a restraining order putting a hold on the election until this issue can be resolved?? (A process sure to take years... )
How do you put a hold on an election? They will allow it to go forward and make a decision in a year or two.
Holder is the tyrant’s minion and a fellow co-conspirator in undermining the Consititution and the sovereignty and legitimacy of this government. Treating our servicemen and servicewomen like this is not only tantamount to undermining the election process - a crime against democracy - its undermines our security when we cannot trust that this nation’s best citizens, this nation’s most vital citizens, will be treated with Justice and in full security of their Freedom. It undermines the fabric of the republic.
A mistake, perhaps, but a grave one, deserving investigations to determine if this is an intentional act or if there has been a pattern established to indicate deeper treasonous intent by this administration.
Let the investiations begin. Impeachment procedings will be next.
Every military member not getting a ballot should file a lawsuit. Every family member registered to vote living overseas should also file a lawsuit. Jam the court with actions to bring attention to the criminal activity of the Democrat party in New York. This is an outright attempt to render 350,000 voters silent. This has to be placed before the public often. Paladino and others have to mention it every day all day.
” How do you put a hold on an election? “
How do you force children on busses to attend schools 30 miles away from their neighborhoods??
How do you force congressional districts to be drawn in bizarre shapes in the name of ‘racial proportionality’??
The examples are endless that Leftie judges can - and will - do anything they darn-well please to advance the Liberal Agenda....
Postponing an election (indefinitely?) to keep the Lefties in power in the face of certain defeat would be childs play...
(Like I said earlier - this is tin-foil-hat stuff... Not likely to happen, but it makes for an interesting ‘thought experiment’...)
Somebody better let Holder know that there are some black people being disenfranchised. Then he will get right on it.
Disenfranchising the military is step 1 in the massive voter fraud to come. These officials should be lynched, or at least jailed. This was NOT an oversight.
Although I WILL vote, the prospect of massive fraud makes it seem like a cynical joke to bother. The country has become a banana republic without the bananas.
The military is a pivotal center-right constituent group.
Why didn't party professionals check on this MONTHS ago?
Terrific one liner...
That quip will travel.
[TR takes a bow]
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