Is Our Military Personnel’s “Right to Vote” Safe?

Posted August 29th, 2010 by "Yawn"

In a FoxNews article entitled:”Defense Department Rejects 4 States’ Military Voter Plans, Grants 5 States Waivers“, examines states requests “to apply for a waiver from the 45-day ballot requirement”.

The MOVE Act requires states to send absentee ballots to military and overseas voters covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act no later than 45 days before an election for federal office starting with this fall’s elections, election. In accordance with the MOVE Act, states are allowed to apply for a waiver from the 45-day ballot requirement.

The states denied exemptions to the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act were Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii and Wisconsin, as well as the District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands. Waivers were granted to Delaware, Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Washington.

U.S. Department of Justice spokeswoman Xochitl Hinojosa said the department was working with those denied to bring them into compliance. The department will file lawsuits against any state that doesn’t voluntarily comply, she said.

Many of these legislators are Democrats who oppose the military, because most of our men and women in uniform tend to vote Republican, who strongly support the military. These attempts continue to make it difficult or impossible for active duty personnel to exercise their right to vote “absentee”, which has been explicitly written into current law.

We need to continue to hold our elected officials feet to the fire to uphold the laws which give every American the right to vote, especially for those who sacrifice “everything” to protect those rights.