Regard$,
--MJ
"[Y]ou simply cannot argue with nationalists. The Germans are fully
convinced that compulsion applied by them to other nations is fair and
just, while compulsion applied to themselves is criminal."
-- Ludwig von Mises, Omnipotent Government
At 02:04 PM 11/5/2010, you wrote:
>Military votes should be taken before any official election dates, and
>counted first. No way to contest, disallow or challenge. FIRST.
>
>If I could, I'd say count those ones twice.
>
>I know we can't, but if anyone's vote counts more than John/Jane Q.
>Public's, its John/Jane Q. Soldier's
>
>On Nov 5, 1:42 pm, dick thompson <rhomp2...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> > If the Republicans allow this one to slip by then they have only
> > themselves to blame when the next election the military still does not
> > get to vote because of the actions of the local election boards and the
> > states.
> >
> > The Scandal of Military Voter Disenfranchisement
> > We can't depend on the Justice Department to see to it that the states
> > comply with the law regarding absentee ballots being shipped in a timely
> > manner to military personnel overseas.
> > November 4, 2010 - by Captain Samuel F. Wright, JAGC, USN (Ret.)
> >
> > Share |
> >
> > In a speech to the House of Commons on August 20, 1940, Prime Minister
> > Winston Churchill said:
> >
> > The gratitude of every home in our island, in our empire, and indeed
> > throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to
> > the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant
> > challenge of mortal danger, are turning the tide of world war by their
> > prowess and their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict was so
> > much owed by so many to so few.
> >
> > These eloquent words about the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain
> > could apply equally to the men and women of the United States Armed
> > Forces today. The entire U.S. military establishment, including the
> > National Guard and Reserve, amounts to less than three-fourths of 1
> > percent of the U.S. population. It is these few who, by their prowess
> > and their devotion, have protected all Americans from a repeat of the
> > horrors of September 11, 2001.
> >
> > What do these few ask of our country in exchange for their valiant
> > service? They have every right to ask, and indeed to demand, that they
> > be given the opportunity to cast ballots in elections that get counted.
> > In a 1952 letter to Congress, President Harry S. Truman wrote:
> >
> > About 2,500,000 men and women in the Armed Forces are of voting age at
> > the present time. Many of those in uniform are serving overseas, or in
> > parts of the country distant from their homes. They are unable to
> > return to their States either to register or to vote. Yet these men and
> > women, who are serving their country and in many cases risking their
> > lives, deserve above all others to exercise the right to vote in this
> > election year. At a time when these young people are defending our
> > country and its free institutions, the least we at home can do is to
> > make sure that they are able to enjoy the rights they are being asked to
> > fight to preserve.
> >
> > President Truman's letter is included in a 1952 report of the
> > Subcommittee on Elections, Committee on House Administration, U.S. House
> > of Representatives, concerning voting rights for military personnel
> > fighting the Korean War. The Honorable C.G. Hall, secretary of state of
> > Arkansas and president of the National Association of Secretaries of
> > State, testified that military personnel in Korea and elsewhere were
> > likely to be disenfranchised because late primaries, ballot access
> > lawsuits, and other problems made it impossible for local election
> > officials (LEOs) to print and mail absentee ballots until just a few
> > days before Election Day.
> >
> > In his 1952 letter, President Truman called upon the states to fix this
> > problem, and he called upon Congress to enact temporary federal
> > legislation for the 1952 presidential election. He wrote,
> >
> > Any such legislation by Congress should be temporary, since it should be
> > possible to make all the necessary changes in State laws before the
> > congressional elections of 1954.
> >
> > Well, it did not work out that way. The Korean War ground to an
> > inconclusive halt in 1952, the issue dropped off our national radar
> > screen, and the states did not fix the problem. Finally, in 2009,
> > Congress enacted the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (MOVE
> > Act). This new law requires every state to mail out absentee ballots to
> > military personnel and family members by the 45th day before Election
> > Day (e.g., September 18, 2010). Several sstates with late primaries
> > applied for and received waivers for 2010, and agreed to extend the
> > deadline for the return of ballots mailed in from overseas.
> >
> > In Illinois, the problem was not a late primary. Indeed, Illinois held
> > its 2010 primary on February 2, 2010. But 35 of 110 Illinois counties
> > seriously missed the September 18 deadline. One of the late counties
> > was St. Clair County, home to 261,000 people and to Scott Air Force Base.
> >
> > The U.S. Department of Justice is responsible for enforcing the MOVE
> > Act, but it seems not to take its responsibilities seriously --- perhaps
> > because military personnel vote overwhelmingly Republican when they do
> > have the opportunity to vote.
> >
> > DoJ entered into a consent decree with Illinois that does not solve the
> > problem. In those counties that were seriously late in sending out
> > ballots, the consent decree extends by only one day (from November 1 to
> > November 2) the deadline for the postmark of the marked ballot coming
> > back to the local election official. If Sergeant Smith in Afghanistan
> > receives his ballot on November 3, he cannot cast a ballot that will get
> > counted.
> >
> > Congress should amend the MOVE Act to clarify that individual military
> > voters have a private right of action to enforce the 45-day rule. We
> > cannot depend upon DOJ to enforce this law in good faith. DOJ, under
> > present management, will paper over MOVE Act violations for the same
> > reason that it condoned voter intimidation by the New Black Panther
> > Party in Philadelphia in 2008.
> >
> > Congress should also clarify that military personnel and family members
> > overseas have the right to vote in state and local elections as well as
> > federal elections, and that any violation of the 45-day rule must be
> > remedied by a court order extending both the deadline for the postmark
> > of the marked ballot and the deadline for its receipt.
> >
> > It is a national scandal that we as a nation are still conducting
> > absentee voting in much the same way that it was conducted during the
> > Korean War --- by shipping pieces of paper across oceans and continents
> > by snail mail. In our Armed Forces, classified information is
> > transmitted and received every day by secure electronic means. In
> > commerce, billions of dollars change hands electronically every business
> > day. If electronic means are secure enough for our nation's most
> > important secrets and for huge sums of money, why is it not possible, in
> > 2010, for deployed service members to vote by a secure means that will
> > guarantee that their ballots are counted?
> >
> > Captain Wright retired after a career as a judge advocate in the Navy
> > and Navy Reserve. He has been working the military voting issue since 1976.
> >
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> > 15 Comments, 14 Threads
> >
> > 1. Ken
> > How about an amendment to the MOVE Act, so that military members who
> > don't get their absentee ballots on time are allowed to skip paying
> > state and local income taxes for the year?
> >
> > November 4, 2010 - 5:17 pm Link to this Comment | Reply
> > canuck
> > Good idea but two flaws. Some states have no income taxes and the period
> > should extend through the term of whomever is on the ballot. Six years
> > for Senate and four for President or Governor. Include federal taxes and
> > this will be an incentive to get votes to them.
> >
> > November 5, 2010 - 3:07 am Link to this Comment | Reply
> > 2. justasimplepatriot
> > Sign on Marine Barracks outside of Baghdad:
> >
> > "America is not at war, We are at war. America is at the Mall."
> >
> > How do you think this vote travesty impacts our troops.
> >
> > Raise Hell, America.
> >
> > November 4, 2010 - 6:07 pm Link to this Comment | Reply
> > 3. Anonymous
> > I do not see why the military just doesn't conduct it's own election
> > right where they are stationed and then add the vote to the state totals.
> > It is a national disgrace that illegal aliens have their vote more
> > protected than our military members.
> >
> > November 4, 2010 - 6:08 pm Link to this Comment | Reply
> > 4. Jon Nedved
> > On Tuesday evening, as I was preparing to vote, I noted with pride that
> > my daughter (registered in the same precinct) had already voted.
> > Immediately above my name on the list of registered voters was the name
> > of my youngest son, who is a Marine currently deployed on a Navy ship. I
> > was saddened to see that he had not voted, and then realized that it was
> > nearly impossible to get/receive mail from him, which is understandable
> > given his location. Why can't we, as a country, make it easy for those
> > who put their lives on the line defending us to cast a ballot? Why is it
> > easier to come here from a foreign country and obtain social services
> > than it is for our troops to vote? Shame on us!
> >
> > November 4, 2010 - 6:37 pm Link to this Comment | Reply
> > 5. Steve S
> > I suspect that the Justice Dept will have plenty of explaining to do
> > with the new Congress. If any of the issues see the light of day is the
> > problem.
> >
> > November 4, 2010 - 7:34 pm Link to this Comment | Reply
> > 6. Andy Gump (formerly Oscar the Grump)
> > The disenfranchisement of our military personnel smacks of Stalinist era
> > leadership. Its against the law right now to ask an individual for
> > identification or proof of citizenship. Where as, our military is
> > intentionally left out on purpose. Now that we have a Republican
> > Congress, its first job should be to guarantee the military the right to
> > vote. It should also call for the use of identification at each voting
> > precinct and/or proof of citizenship. Without such guarantees we are
> > only setting ourselves up to have the 2012 election hijacked. If we
> > press the point via Congress and the Bill is rejected by the Senate or
> > the President, it will prove our point.
> >
> > November 4, 2010 - 9:00 pm Link to this Comment | Reply
> > 7. ITYS
> > This is an absolute outrage and has been reported in the media for at
> > least 3weeks, yet no resolution. Its disgusting, the calculated
> > incompetence and disenfranchisement was purposeful b/c they know the
> > military overwhelmingly goes R. No ballots to those who put their lives
> > on the line for this country, but votes were taken personally to the
> > convicts in IL. Since when do the convicts get to vote????? Did nay
> > reporter ever ask Obama about this failure???? He's supposed to be the
> > commander-in-chief and he would actually have garnered some respect had
> > he acted to rectify this problem.
> >
> > November 4, 2010 - 9:43 pm Link to this Comment | Reply
> > 8. Anonymous
> > Left/liberals love illegal aliens and piss on our military.
> >
> > November 5, 2010 - 12:13 am Link to this Comment | Reply
> > 9. Mark Matis
> > And yet again, "Law Enforcement" is the Great Enabler for this. Be sure
> > to thank them appropriately for the OUTSTANDING job they have done.
> >
> > November 5, 2010 - 4:48 am Link to this Comment | Reply
> > 10. Eric Jablow
> > Perhaps disenfranchised soldiers could bring a lawsuit demanding that
> > Illinois and other states forfeit some of their representation in
> > Congress, according to section 2 of the 14th Amendment:
> >
> > "Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according
> > to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in
> > each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at
> > any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President
> > of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and
> > Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof,
> > is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one
> > years of age,* and citizens of the United States, or in any way
> > abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the
> > basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which
> > the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male
> > citizens twenty-one years of age in such State."
> >
> > November 5, 2010 - 5:08 am Link to this Comment | Reply
> > 11. Claudia
> > We certainly can complain about the DOJ not doing their job, but we
> > conservatives didn't do much to make sure this outrage from the 2000
> > election was remedied and we did have the majority to accomplish it.
> > That said, it does not fall on deaf ears that the Dems seems to be those
> > most prone to disenfranchise the public with scores of groups who's aim
> > is to commit voter fraud in every way possible, Acorn is a great
> > example. What is it about liberals that honor seems to be something they
> > don't recognize or understand?
> >
> > November 5, 2010 - 5:46 am Link to this Comment | Reply
> > 12. kjatexas
> > Why is it that no one seems to ever go to jail for the kind of voter
> > fraud we see on a regular basis.
> >
> > November 5, 2010 - 8:01 am Link to this Comment | Reply
> > 13. Bill Lawrence
> > What must not be forgotten is that this year's disenfranchisement of the
> > military was in VIOLATION of the law. We need criminal penalties for
> > officials fail to get military ballots out as per the deadline.
> >
> > November 5, 2010 - 8:25 am Link to this Comment | Reply
> > 14. Joseph Rush Wills, II
> > The disenfranchisement of military personnel is only part of a larger
> > problem of election fraud. Unfortunately, Americans accept voter fraud
> > and in many cases wink at it. But election fraud is the theft of
> > democracy and attacks the very core of Representative government and the
> > Consent of the Governed in our Declaration of Independence.
> > Those failing to mail ballots to our brave men and women on the front
> > lines well knew how our defenders would vote; that's why they were cheated.
> > Commenter Bill Lawrence suggested criminal penalties for officials who
> > fail to get military ballots out on time; I agree, but make those
> > penalties, and all penalties for voter fraud severe. Not a few months in
> > a minimum security "white collar" penitentury, knowing they'll be "taken
> > care of" when they gey out, but long years at hard labor at some remote
> > prison camp.
> > The new Congress needs to address this corruption...and take steps to
> > ensure that those who attempt to "rig" elections in any way get the
> > punishment they deserve.
> > God Bless our military!
> >
> > November 5, 2010 - 9:45 am Link to this Comment | Reply
>
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