Get the word out...
Disappointing Outcome on Today’s Armed Services Committee Hearing on Federal Voting Assistance Program
September 13, 2012by Kate Pomeroy
For Immediate Release: Media Contact: Kate Pomeroy
Arlington, VA – September 13, 2012, the House Armed Services Committee took a small step to confront the challenges military personnel face in obtaining or submitting an absentee ballot by conducting a hearing focused on the DoD’s Federal Voting Assistance program. Unfortunately, despite direct questions from the members, no answers were forthcoming as to why reforms mandated by Congress had not taken place.
Jessie Jane Duff, Gunnery Sergeant, USMC (Ret) and member of the Concerned Veterans for America’s organizing committee said the following:
“I was very disappointed. There was no answer to the $64,000 question—has DoD fully implemented the reforms mandated by the 2009 MOVE Act? Even when asked directly, DoD’s representatives dodged the question.What’s the issue? Here are the numbers:
“What we heard was the same old finger pointing that allows the military to remain the most disenfranchised voting group in the United States today.
“Our leaders in Washington face big challenges with the $16 trillion national debt, runaway spending and a struggling economy. Compared to those problems, this one should be an easy fix (to say nothing of the right thing to do). All they have to do is set up an office and add a piece of paper to the pile when a servicemember checks in. If they can’t manage to get their heads around this, what hope is there on the national debt?”
- As of August 2012, a survey of several states showed that in most of the states fewer than 10 percent of military voters had requested ballots, according to a recent report from the Military Voters Protection (MVP) Project.
- As of August, in Virginia and North Carolina, only 1.4 and 1.7 percent of military voters had requested ballots.
- As of today, North Carolina is still behind the 2008 pace – this after four years of supposed reforms and millions of dollars spent.
- A 2012 Department of Defense IG investigation was able to reach fewer than half of the voting assistance offices mandated by the MOVE Act.
- Congress appropriated $46 million for voting assistance activities in 2011 alone.
To schedule an interview with Jessie Jane Duff, please contact Kate Pomeroy
at 703-638-3927 or kpomeroy@concernedveteransforamerica.org
Video released on September 17, 2012 by Kate Pomeroy.
Absentee voting keeps overseas voters relevant.
These steps are, of course, met with strict deadlines which vary from state to state.
Listed below are the voting cutoff dates for states boasting large numbers of residents in the armed services. Residents of all states and territories, however, may register to vote and request a ballot within their state at the VFAP.gov, which streamlines the process for overseas military personnel, families and civilians. The General Election is held in all states on Nov. 6.
Florida: Registration deadline: Oct. 9; Ballot request: Oct. 31; Ballot return: Nov. 16, postmarked by Nov. 6.
- Election.myFlorida.com is a wealth of information for voters. Florida residents can scroll through the names of every candidate running for every office in the Sunshine State. To simplify matters, voters may search by county, office or group -- such as federal or state.
- To learn more about overseas voting, head to "For the Voters," then "Voting Information," and "Absentee Voting." The site also lists committees and parties, FAQs and a voter assistance hot line in English or Spanish:
1-866-308-6739.
- First time voters in Florida must send a copy of a photo ID (military ID card, passport, driver's license, etc.) along with the absentee ballot application.
- For more information, visit www.longdistancevoter.com/florida.
- Attention Virginia voters: Because Virginia now requires voters to present a federal ID at the polls,
- overseas voters voting for the first time must include a copy of a driver's license, military ID, or voter ID card with the mailed ballot or the vote will not count.
- Additionally, overseas voters without a physical abode in Virginia who are not active duty or family members may only vote in federal elections unless employment information is provided along with the ballot request.
- The elections website in Virginia, www.sbe.virginia.gov, is dense, wordy and full of restrictions. Read the "Military and Overseas Voters" page carefully.
- Washington voters can visit www.sos.wa.gov to register to vote online with MyVote or a Facebook App, or the old fashioned way of snail mail. The "Overseas and Military Voters" page provides straightforward directions. Washington State takes admirable pains to ensure its voters are informed. Click on "2012 Ballot Measures" for state initiatives and referenda. Residents can also request voters' pamphlets and access county-specific candidate information on the "Military and Overseas Voters" page.
- State primaries: New York residents already in possession of a state primary ballot may still vote in the primary elections if the ballot is postmarked by Sept. 12 and received by the local board of elections no later than Sept. 18.
- The New York state Board of Elections website, www.elections.ny.gov, is easy to navigate and provides ample information. For material on military or overseas voting, click "Need an Absentee Ballot?" or "Are you in the Armed Forces or live overseas?" The latter will direct visitors to https://overseasvotefoundation.org. This exceptionally user-friendly site allows voters to register, request a ballot, track a ballot and access all dates, deadlines and contact info.
- Even if already registered to vote in California, residents must apply for a Special Absentee Ballot by filling out and sending in the Federal Post Card Application before requesting a ballot.
- For the vote to count, the ballot must be mailed and received by the county elections official no later than 8 p.m. on Nov. 6, when the state's polls close.
- For more, visit www.sos.ca.gov/elections and click "Military and Overseas Voters" under the "Voter Registration" headline.
- For historical and up-to-date election results and statistics, county elections office contact info, a general rundown on voting in Georgia and absentee voting guidelines, visit www.sos.ga.gov/elections.
- The military and overseas voters page answers ample FAQs, provides video demonstrations and allows visitors to download all necessary forms.
- At www.sos.state.tx.us/elections, Texans can retrieve basic run-downs on candidates and state specific data for overseas and military voters.
- Overseas voters may also download the Federal Post Card Application to register and request an absentee ballot.
California Military and Overseas Voters
Thank you for taking part in elections while you are in the military or other uniformed service, or a civilian living outside the United States.
The information and resources on this page are intended to make participating in elections as easy and rewarding for you as possible. Here, you will learn the basic steps to become a "special absentee voter" so you are eligible to vote while living or serving overseas and discover how state and federal laws work to protect your precious right to vote.
As a military and overseas voter, there are several different ways you can request and receive your ballot, then return your ballot once you are registered to vote.
Register to Vote. Even if you were registered to vote when you lived in California, in order to receive your elections materials and vote while living overseas, you need to apply for a Special Absentee Ballot by faxing or mailing the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) that is accepted by all states and U.S. territories. The FPCA is postage-paid in the U.S. mail, including the Military Postal System and State Department Pouch mail. Members of the military can also obtain an FPCA from their installation's Voting Assistance Officer. Civilian overseas voters can obtain an FPCA at any U.S. embassy or consulate.
Request and Receive Your Ballot. When you register as a Special Absentee Voter, you can choose to get your ballot mailed to you, faxed to you or emailed to you. You may even be able to download it from the county's website. Check the list below for the options in your county.
Return Your Voted Ballot. You can either mail or fax your ballot back to your county elections official. If you decide to fax your voted ballot, you must also fax an "Oath of Voter" form with it to waive your right to a confidential vote. Please use the oath form your county provides to you. Many counties also accept the federal oath form: Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) Alternative Form. Please check with your county before using the federal oath form. Under California law, while you may receive a blank ballot by email, you may not return a voted ballot by email. All voted ballots must be received by the county elections official before the polls close in California at 8:00 p.m. on November 6, 2012, in order to be counted. For additional information and resources, as well as answers to many frequently asked questions, please see the links on the left-hand side of this page.
To Vote Absentee, Start By Telling Us Who You Are
For active-duty members of the Armed Forces, Merchant Marine, Public Health Service, NOAA, and their family members.
For United States citizens who are living outside the U.S. for work, school or other reasons.
If neither of these choices apply to you, please visit www.canivote.org.
For United States citizens who are living outside the U.S. for work, school or other reasons.
If neither of these choices apply to you, please visit www.canivote.org.
Forms Available for DownloadLocate a Voting Office Near You
2012 Absentee Mailing Days
Where to Send Forms
Information on Absentee Voting
Well, there it is...if it sounds like a lot to take in, I totally agree. Our men & women deployed have so much to do and think about already, shouldn't this be a simple flawless right for service members away at war?
Regardless of party, everyone please get out and vote. Don't complain if you don't register and vote!! Do it!
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