Pentagon Suppressing the Overseas Vote

[G_j]

Suppressing the overseas vote

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/salon/0,,1335573,00.html

UK Guardian: "Record numbers of Americans abroad have registered, but bureaucratic snafus may prevent many from actually voting... the panicked emails start flooding in, untold thousands of overseas voters still have not received their ballots - and clearly won't be able to get them back in time... Activists now fear that huge numbers of Americans overseas may be as disenfranchised as they were in 2000, when (many) ballots just plain never showed up... far from helping civilians, the Federal Voting Assistance Program has dragged its feet... The GAO excoriated the agency for losing thousands of overseas votes in 2000, but the FVAP insists it has corrected its problems this year. Frustrated civilian advocates, however, say the FVAP remains biased and ineffective. Despite reforms... it still has not shaken its Pentagon roots: It spends the bulk of its energy getting out a heavily Republican vote among half a million service people - but has failed the far greater numbers of civilians who tend to vote a different way...."

long article - http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/salon/0,,1335573,00.html