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U.S. Naval Institute's Proceedings:
"The military voter is a moving target"
Time, Distance, and Mobility proves to be a challenge in the military voting process
July 17, 2008 – Thousands of service members deployed overseas will probably be unable to cast ballots this election year, breaking a pledge that dates back a half century, according to Chas Henry writing in the July issue of Proceedings, the U.S. Naval Institute's award-winning flagship publication.
Henry, a retired Marine captain and well-credentialed journalist, states in the article, "Lots of Bullets, Not Enough Ballots," that we have not come very far since 1952 when President Harry S. Truman urged Congress to ensure that the men and women in uniform were able to vote while fighting a war.
"When it comes to having their vote counted, indications are that in November 2008 many thousands of service members who try to vote will do so in vain," says Henry.
There is no conspiracy to deny military men and women the opportunity to have their votes counted. The problem, says the author, is a complicated system that varies from state to state for handling the absentee ballots of service personnel.
Absentee voting from overseas involves "registering, requesting a ballot, receiving the ballot, correctly completing the ballot, and returning the ballot to the appropriate election official,"" Brenda Farrell of the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office tells Henry.
There is also the matter of mobility since service members relocate far more frequently than their civilian counterparts.
Henry quotes Samuel Wright, a retired Navy Reserve captain and longtime champion of military voting rights as saying, "The military voter is frequently,…a moving target."
The problem is complicated because much of the process must by law be conducted by U.S. mail, an inordinately time-consuming method.
"Billions of dollars travel on digital networks every day," Henry writes. "Classified documents do, too. So why are military voters still required to send ballots through the mail?"
Robert Timberg, editor-in-chief of Proceedings, said publishing articles like Henry's is part of the Institute's mission to bring to light issues that have a critical impact on Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen.
"This is what we do here,"" said Timberg. "We cover the Sea Services and the broader national security community and sometimes that means poking the powers-that-be in the eye." Chas Henry's piece is a fine example of Proceedings at its best."
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