Stars & Stripes: LESS THAN HALF OF MILITARY VOTES OVERSEAS COUNTED IN '06

[mod mom]

Less than half of military votes overseas counted

Election commission: 57,000 ballots were cast in ’06

By Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Tuesday, September 25, 2007



WASHINGTON — Overseas military voters had less than half of their votes counted in last year’s congressional elections, according to data released by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission on Monday.

“One thing is clear: At every level of government, we need to do a better job,” said Donetta Davidson, chair of the commission. “We must make sure all eligible voters are getting their opportunities.”

The figures, released at the commission’s annual conference on ways to improve and troubleshoot the absentee voting process, showed that only about 992,000 of the nearly 6 million eligible overseas citizens requested ballots for the 2006 general election.

That included about 119,000 military personnel stationed outside the United States. Of those, only about 57,000 — less than 48 percent — had their votes successfully cast or counted.

-snip

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=56561&archive=true

CROSS POSTED IN ELECTION REFORM. THIS WAS DOWN FROM 24% DISENFRANCHISEMENT IN 2004. VERY APPALLING! CAN'T LET THOSE DEM VOTES BE COUNTED REGARDLESS OF WHETHER A SOLDIER IS RISKING THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY. CROSS POST:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x483566

[blm]

1. You think corpmedia will investigate and report on this?

.

[mod mom]

2. REASONS FOR REJECTIONS:

Link for the 2006 UOCAVA Report is found on
http://www.eac.gov/clearinghouse/2006-uniformed-and-overseas-citizens-voting-act-survey-and-conference-materials/
and page 49 of the 56-page report has a table titled
Table 25b. Military and Overseas Absentee Ballots Rejected by Reason-Percentages

which shows reasons for rejection by states.

[EFerrari]

5. It looks like vote caging. Is that right? n/t

[Le Taz Hot]

11. Take a look at Texas!

Very revealing.

[chill_wind]

3. "Fighting for Democracy Over There" so that we can Disregard it Over Here.

But-- but-- We Support The Troops!

Just not their rights to have their votes count.

[mod mom]

4. ONLY 52.6% OF BALLOTS FROM OVERSEAS CITIZENS WERE COUNTED.

52.6 percent of ballots from overseas citizens were cast or counted

http://www.eac.gov/News/press/docs/eac-releases-2006-military-and-overseas-citizens-voting-report/

[mod mom]

6. If you have media contacts, PLS FORWARD this information. APPALLING!

:mad:

[EFerrari]

7. Army Times. KO. This is horrendous.

And, THIS may be the reason the criminals didn't make any fuss about getting the military vote. :grr:

[mod mom]

10. and don't forget the Ex Pat high rate-they are predominately DEM voters!

I sent to KO, Josh Marshall, Lou Dobb and some local contacts. The more email they get on this the more likely it will get presented.

[EFerrari]

12. Amy Goodman.

mail @ democracynow.org

[mod mom]

22. Thank you.

[EFerrari]

18. Wildermuth at the SF Chronicle. I can't because I've cussed him out

too many times over CA, But, I bet he'd like to see this.

[T Wolf]

8. The administration is making sure that the officers' votes are counted, but

the votes of grunts who are more anti-war are lost.

Ver refined, the republic scum. Support the troops, my ass.

[CRK7376]

14. The Administration would

be pissed at my vote and I'm an officer. I've basically had to vote absentee for the past 9 years that I've been back on active duty. Even though I've been stationed in my home state for much of the time, I still vote absentee, for my home district, not for the part of NC that I currently reside in...I am in yearly contact with my County Election office to make sure I get my ballots. Hopefully they are counted. NOw if we could get rid of Dole and Burr....

[hack89]

23. There is no way to tell the difference.

you fill out a absentee ballot and put it in the mail at your leisure.

[mod mom]

9. WTF! "not all states track ballots cast and ballots counted separately"

Approximately one-third of the cast or counted ballots were uncategorized by the states

The “cast or counted” category was created because not all states track ballots cast and ballots counted separately.

During the process of collecting the data, it was determined that many states and local jurisdictions did not track the specific data required by HAVA. Low response rates may also be attributed to EAC’s online survey collection instrument, which many states found difficult to use and time-consuming.

Response rates from states and local jurisdictions varied. For instance, of 3,123 possible jurisdictions, 54 percent provided information on the number of domestic military absentee ballots cast or counted, while 62 percent provided information on the number of overseas military absentee ballots cast or counted. Generally, more jurisdictions tracked information on overseas voters than domestic military voters.

http://www.eac.gov/News/press/docs/eac-releases-2006-military-and-overseas-citizens-voting-report/

[mod mom]

13. EAC Key Findings:

KEY FINDINGS OF EAC 2006 MILITARY & OVERSEAS VOTES:

*47.6 percent of ballots from overseas military voters were cast or counted;

*56.3 percent of ballots from domestic military voters were cast or counted

*52.6 percent of ballots from overseas citizens were cast or counted

*Approximately one-third of the cast or counted ballots were uncategorized by the states

The “cast or counted” category was created because not all states track ballots cast and ballots counted separately.

During the process of collecting the data, it was determined that many states and local jurisdictions did not track the specific data required by HAVA. Low response rates may also be attributed to EAC’s online survey collection instrument, which many states found difficult to use and time-consuming.

Response rates from states and local jurisdictions varied. For instance, of 3,123 possible jurisdictions, 54 percent provided information on the number of domestic military absentee ballots cast or counted, while 62 percent provided information on the number of overseas military absentee ballots cast or counted. Generally, more jurisdictions tracked information on overseas voters than domestic military voters.



http://www.eac.gov/News/press/docs/eac-releases-2006-military-and-overseas-citizens-voting-report/

[MelissaB]

15. OMG!

:wow:

[The Backlash Cometh]

16. Election fraud. Why is no one facing legal recriminations over this?

[mod mom]

17. You can bet we'd have VETO PROOF MARGINS. If only the DEMS would voice outrage over this.

I sent this to House Judiciary Dem legal staff.

[EFerrari]

19. mod mom: the chart with all that red seems to say those ballots

were returned as undeliverable. Isnt' that a sign of vote caging? Remember in Greg Palast's report he says they sent mail to GIs' homes who were deployed over seas?

[mod mom]

20. I have a full schedule today, I wanted to get this out there so everyone was aware.

Undeliverable could in fact mean that.

[EFerrari]

21. Thank you for posting.

:kick:

[mod mom]

24. kicking for the evening folks, because this is how we lost the veto proof majority.

[liberalla]

25. Do the soldiers themselves know this?

I've heard about this since Palast first exposed it (2005 or 6?).

I hope this artcle in the Stars and Stripes gets major attention. It's outrageous. You can fight and die for these Oil Men, but don't think for a minute, that you have the right or the expectation to have your vote counted!

[Didereaux]

26. True, but they counted twice in 2000...so that balances, right?

n/t

[EFerrari]

27. kick