Subject: Soldiers' Votes Could Decide Election

[DemBones DemBones]

By DEBORAH HASTINGS, AP National Writer

"With so many troops fighting in the Middle East, members of the military could play a huge role in deciding the next commander-in-chief in this dead-heat presidential contest. But Democrats and Republicans alike fear that reforms enacted by Congress after 2000 have not fixed the problems associated with overseas voting.

During the chaotic 2000 election, thousands of troops overseas voted for president, only to have their ballots rejected. Others did not receive ballots at all. And some found the entire process confusing.

Four years later — with more than 160,000 troops fighting in Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites) — Democrats and Republicans worry that the same thing will happen."


http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041029/ap_on_el_pr/the_military_vote

Of course what scares me is that we'll see a repeat of LATE military votes being counted. LATE votes should not be counted. Both sides should agree on this and agree that military ballots will be judged by the same standard as any others. The military are not entitled to special privileges in voting.

[Carolab]

1. Cept this time

the military is royally pissed at George

[RaleighNCDUer]

2. Don't worry. I promise, late Dem ballots will not be counted.

[DemBones DemBones]

7. Will ANY Dem ballots be counted? (Those bastards!) nt

[buff2]

3. The security moms will decide election.......

No wait....the single women could decide the election....err....I mean the Latinos......err....I mean African Americans....no...I mean the married women.....err....I mean the nascar dads.....err.....I mean the evangelical "christians"......err......I mean....the college age young people.....err........I mean the first time voters....err...no, no.....it's the military.... and on and on and on. Everyday it's a different group of people who will "decide" this election. I will be soooooo glad when this is OVER. I am really tired of hearing this all the time. The media whores have a different scenerio daily. Gaawd,this is pure BS and it grates on my nerves like the chimp does. :puke:

[Catherine Vincent]

4. What's the deal with late ballots coming.

These people knew there would be an election in November. They should have sent it off in October and the military should see to it that there is a cut off date then. Period!

[SoCalDem]

9. Every military person has contact with "the world" at least occasionally

or they have a CO that does..

All ballots should be in the hands of the soldiers by Sept15.. Even if they have "special ballots".. I doubt seriously that soldiers in Iraq are really losing sleep over the local propositions, so if those are left offf, no biggie..

They want to vote for senate, congress, president..

Their special "overseas/warzone ballots" could very easily be in their hands by Sep 15.. That gives them PLENTY OF TIME to hand them in, en masse to their CO, who would then place them in a locked bag, to be mailed on the same day...let's say Oct 15...

Mail does not move by ship.. They FLY it.. There is NO reason on earth for any service person to miss the leection day deadline, UNLESS they are lazy or do not plan to vote..

If THAT is the case, they should be required to turn in their ballot, marked NO VOTE..across the page, and still be signed and sent with the others..

Do they have to be registered, or are the automatically registered??

What about the non-citizens who are US military? Do THEY vote??hmmmm??

[harpo]

5. as long as everyone gets out and votes, this isn't an issue

[TacticalPeek]

6. Link?

[DemBones DemBones]

8. What? You're not a mind reader?

;-) Thanks! I posted it above and here it is again:

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041029/ap_on_el_pr/the_military_vote

[lebkuchen]

10. The APOs are mailing military ballots "express mail"

at government expense.

Bush will get plenty of military votes, but not the number he did four years ago, and especially not from military spouses.

[kokomo]

11. Due to late mailing, Pennsy wants to extend mlitary deadline to 11/10

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04304/404243.stm

[DemBones DemBones]

12. No, they already got the extension to Nov. 10 & the GOP wants MORE!!!

Give 'em an inch and the little worms take a mile. . . :grr:


Overseas ballots being cast by Pennsylvania soldiers and out-of-the-country civilians will be collected and counted through Nov. 10, an eight-day extension of what has historically been an Election Day deadline. But Republicans are vowing to fight for an even longer extension, saying the extra week-and-a-day won't give all absentee ballots enough time to make the trip from the Middle East.

The legal fight is a byproduct of the close race expected between President Bush and his challenger, Democratic Sen. John F. Kerry. Military votes tend to be Republican votes, and Republicans want to maximize their chances of securing Pennsylvania's trove of electoral votes.

Facing pressure from Republicans, Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell said yesterday morning that he would support a one-week extension of the collection deadline, now set by law for Tuesday's Election Day. By afternoon, the new Nov. 10 deadline was approved by U.S. District Judge Yvette Kane after closed-door negotiations between the state's counsel and GOP-financed lawyers.

Rendell says he's against a two-week extension because the extra time would make it difficult to challenge late-arriving ballots prior to a statewide recount, if a recount is necessary. Republicans say he's just trying to block Bush votes.

[AndyTiedye]

13. Not just Late, Late With NO POSTMARK

For all we know, they filled out these ballots in the back room,
making sure that every serviceman who didn't vote voted for Bush*.