The Military Voter Protection Act

By Carissa Picard, a licensed attorney, founder and President of a non-profit, non-partisan veterans and military advocacy organization, Military Spouses for Change, and the spouse of an active duty Army pilot soon to deploy to Iraq.

From Military.com — (May 21, 2008) In a 2007 report by the Election Assistance Commission, less than 50 percent of the nearly one million absentee ballots submitted by military voters were actually counted in the 2006 elections. Ten percent of these were not counted because they were received too late by the service members’ state election officials.

I don’t think you need me to explain the irony inherent in the disenfranchisement of the men and women who are willing to sacrifice their lives in defense of the U.S. Constitution.

Approximately half a million service members are stationed or deployed overseas today and their electoral participation is increasing. In 2000, 57 percent voted but in 2004, 73 percent voted. As we enter our sixth year in Iraq, I can only imagine that this percentage will be at least as high or even higher in 2008.

Fox News did a special report on these uncounted votes the other day:

As Fox News intimated, some members in Congress are trying to take action.

Read the rest at Military.com by CLICKING HERE

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