WTF Military Ballots

[Hitman]

I totally agree you can't spoon feed soldiers to vote. There still needs to be a better system in place that enables Military Members to vote more easily, and ensure that their votes are counted in the election. The last two presentational elections have proven that the ballot counting systems in this country are severely broken.

[Quakindude]

Yep, if I can digitally sign pay documents, NCOER's and log into SIDPERS and access classified information, I should be able to vote with the damned thing.

Of course, the Army is too friggin worried about people playing Pocket Tanks and watching videos during work hours to fix the screwed up voting system.

While I agree that the Soldier should be on top of his/her absentee ballot, I've been in situations before where even the proper paperwork to vote by absentee ballot wasn't available to my Soldiers until the last minute.

We were waiting on them to be mailed to us.

[Hitman]

This is the wonderful system that the Government has in place for the military.

Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) Main Page

[Reloadron]

<H3>THE BASIC ABSENTEE VOTING PROCESS

Step 1

Citizen completes and mails the Federal Post Card Application Form (SF-76), Registration and Absentee Ballot Request Form.
Step 2

Local Election Official approves Registration request or requests further information
Step 3

Local Election Official mails absentee ballot*
Step 4

Citizen votes and mails the absentee ballot to the Local Election Official in time to meet state deadlines.
* In order to receive an absentee ballot in a timely manner, it is imperative for citizens to keep their local election official informed of address changes.

</H3>Now all of that would be well and fine. However, as our active duty military guys have pointed out, more often than not the paperwork is late or non existent. Then we have the postmark issues and how different states have different rules. Having spent over 20 years relying on the FPO / APO system there must be a better way.

Now one would think with all the money the fed and the states seem to have to piss away on stupid shit they could find the money to fix this problem.

Ron

[polobunny]

Just chiming in to say
WOW, that's totally retarded.

:/

[Dread]

This isn't a new problem. The entire 20 years I was in the Army getting
absentee ballots was a huge pain. Even while serving stateside it was
problematic getting them, and returning them in time to be counted.

The Army has been aware of it for the longest, but it as an organization
doesn't have the power or authority to make the required changes.

[Reloadron]

Originally Posted by Dread

This isn't a new problem. The entire 20 years I was in the Army getting
absentee ballots was a huge pain. Even while serving stateside it was
problematic getting them, and returning them in time to be counted.

The Army has been aware of it for the longest, but it as an organization
doesn't have the power or authority to make the required changes.

The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or for that matter the Coast Guard nor their FPO / APO does not have the problem. It is not a matter of any of the services having the power to deal with it. It is a matter of the Fed to deal with it and apparently they are not. Therefore people need to write (yeah I know bullshit) their Senate representatives.

Ron