A chapter member recently sent me an e-mail that a Tennessee state senator sent to his fellow legislators urging them to contact their Representatives to support a bill that would significantly help military personnel serving in combat to vote.  The bill called the Military Voting Protection Act (HR 5673), introduced by Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), would require DoD to collect absentee ballots from military personnel overseas and deliver them stateside by express air transport.  This would shorten the delivery times for overseas ballots from three weeks to only four days and most likely mean that thousands of military ballots rejected in 2004 would be counted in 2008. 

   The bill, introduced in April, seemed like a no-brainer that would have widespread support in Congress and with veterans' organizations, but when I checked I found that it had only 46 co-sponsors and it wasn't in MOAA’s legislative agenda.  I contacted MOAA and learned that sometimes what seems like a great idea may have many “unintended consequences.” 

   COL Bob Norton, USA (Ret), Deputy Director, MOAA Government Relations, said the bill might increase the number of military votes but “looking under the hood” there are some concerns.  During a time of war, Congress would be requiring operational commanders to set up special collection and delivery procedures for tens of thousands of absentee ballots.  There are no resources or procedures in place to establish a unique shipping and delivery system for absentee military ballots outside the normal military postal system.  The bill would put an enormous burden on DoD and the Services to ensure the ballots were delivered in time to the appropriate state voting officials.  There is also concern because special collection/mailing procedures for military absentee voters would undoubtedly raise questions about fairness and equity for all other (civilian) absentee voters who live and work overseas, many side by side with military personnel.  In our American voting system, should the military have special additional, ballot handling and delivery procedures when we already have the basic statute, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act that applies to all absentee citizen voters? 

   The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Administration, but MOAA feels that the House and Senate Armed Services Committees must have a say also due to the enormous potential impact on military logistics and mailing operations.  But even if all of the many questions could be answered and the concerns are satisfied it is doubtful that such a process could be organized and pulled off in in time for the upcoming federal elections.  

   Norton said that MOAA's many efforts over the years on military voting rights and procedures have not yielded the kind of results we would want to see.  What our uniformed voters need are access to secure electronic voting technologies and more consistent and “friendly” state voting laws and procedures?  H.R. 5673 might provide temporary, marginal relief--if it were doable--but in the end the underlying process and laws need reform.   

 

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