Web site Aids Servicemembers Overseas in Registering to Vote
Jan 09 2008
The Pew Charitable Trusts and Overseas Vote Foundation (OVF) announced new Web-based voter services to help the more than six million Americans — servicemembers and civilians living overseas — take the steps necessary to vote in upcoming elections.
A recent government report revealed between two-thirds and one-half of the ballots mailed to overseas voters were not returned in time to be counted for the 2006 election. New research from electionline.org, a project of The Pew Charitable Trusts, finds that states have adopted inconsistent processes and requirements for overseas voters, making it difficult for them to participate in the electoral process.
“Those who serve their country deserve a voice in its future. Unfortunately, when military personnel and other citizens overseas try to vote, there is a good chance that their votes won’t get counted,” says Michael Caudell- Feagan, project director of Make Voting Work, an initiative of Pew’s Center on the States. “Americans living abroad deserve a system that allows each voter to confidently register and submit his/her ballot.”
This partnership with OVF is part of a larger effort by Make Voting Work. This multi-million dollar, multi-year project seeks to help modernize elections by advancing policies, practices and technologies that make voting convenient for eligible voters without compromising accuracy.
OVF’s integrated voter services applications are available at www.overseasvotefoundation.org. The site is a user-friendly system to automate the complex process facing servicemembers and civilian overseas voters attempting to register to vote and request absentee ballots. In addition, OVF provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date listing of local U.S. election office contact information available today through its Election Official Directory.
The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) requires states to allow absent uniformed servicemembers and overseas citizens to participate in absentee voting processes and vote absentee in general, primary, runoff, and special elections to federal office. It also allows the use of a federal write-in absentee ballot (FWAB) in general elections for uniformed service and overseas voters who do not receive their absentee ballot in time to cast and return it. The law applies to spouses and dependents of uniformed service members. The U.S. Government Accountability Office estimates there are about six million eligible UOCAVA voters.
In the 2006 general election, almost 27 percent of all UOCAVA ballots came from domestic military voters, followed by almost 20 percent from overseas civilians and almost 17 percent from overseas military voters. About 5 percent were write-in (FWAB) ballots. The remaining one-third was uncategorized.
