Bush gives preference to military ballots

[Freddie Stubbs]

Move may help avoid 2000 presidential recount

BY LARRY WHEELER
FLORIDA TODAY

WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is giving special status to ballots cast overseas by U.S. military personnel.

The move aims to avoid one of the most controversial aspects of the 2000 presidential vote recount in Florida and is important politically because military votes historically favor Republican candidates.

The Pentagon and the U.S. Postal Service have set up a system to speed ballots cast by soldiers, sailors and Marines stationed in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

The system includes color-coded mailing trays, use of Express Mail and orders that mail clerks cancel, or postmark, all military voting ballots to avoid confusion once the envelopes arrive at county election offices.

more: http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/localstoryN712VOTEMESSMIL.htm

[Nightjock]

1. I just read an article that would scare Bush

My local paper followed around some Marines who had "unkind things to say about the pResident".
These Marines said everyone they know feels the same way!

[demnan]

2. This is wrong.

No one's vote should count more than anyone else's or get preferenial treatment. After all, isn't that what many people fought and died to defend?

[Spinzonner]

3. I think you're misinterpreting it

They're talking about giving the mail containing the ballots special status so it gets where it should in a timely and secure manner.

That doesnt make the ballot have any special status compared to any other vote.

[democrat in Tallahassee]

4. are they doing the same thing for all absentee ballots? If not then

republicans ARE getting special treatment

[Spinzonner]

5. How do you know how they will vote

it could go against them with troops stuck overseas on year long rotations - some for the second time.

I dont think that instituting appropriate handling for something which has special constraints associated with its origin (a war zone) and delivery constitutes favoritism, especially in the absence of knowing its contents.

Absentee ballots mailed in the US dont have such concerns associated with them.

[Freddie Stubbs]

6. How are Republicans getting special treatment?

:shrug:

[Blue Wally]

7. No

In the 2000 election, a large number of military ballots were challenged as not having proper postmarks showing that they were mailed on time. A military address is an APO or a FPO in the United States. The idea is to get the military ballots rapidly to the servicing APO/FPO to permit timely postmarking of the ballot. Even if the military ballots may go against us, we should do nothing to hinder their being cast and counted.

28 year veteran

[seasat]

8. Two things

First, I don't think the military vote is going to help Shrub as much this year. I've read articles that the service people are growing increasingly dienchanted with Shrub's leadership.

Secondly, Absentee ballot overall in Florida are going to be a problem. The Repub legislature eliminated the requirement for a witness to sign the ballot. Also, the Republicans mail out absentee applications with all the information filled out including the voter ID number. All you have to do is basically sign and send in the form. Without a witness signature voter fraud becomes real easy. I can imagine groups of nursing homes where a Repub operative fills out bundles of these forms for indigent and senile patients and sends them in for Shrub.

[Freddie Stubbs]

9. Democrats are just as capable as Republicans

in perpetrating absentee ballot fraud. Just ask Xavier Suarez.