REPORT: JUST 17% OF OVERSEAS MILITARY VOTED IN '06
Congressman Roy Blunt has introduced a resolution that urges the Department of Defense take additional steps to make sure members of the military and their families have the necessary information to vote in the 2008 elections.
"The right to vote is one of the most vital and inalienable rights in our great nation. For our Armed Forces, however, carrying out that right is too often marred in bureaucratic hurdles and complications," Blunt said in a statement. “The fact that less than 17 percent of the 6 million citizens serving our nation overseas eligible to vote participated in the 2006 election demonstrates the overwhelming need to address this problem."
In 1986, Congress enacted the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act to ensure that members of the Armed Forces and their dependents are provided with the information, opportunity, and material they need to participate in Federal elections. Current law allows overseas voters to register for and request an absentee ballot using a standard Federal Post Card Application. The Federal Post Card application is intended to simplify the process of obtaining absentee ballots for voters outside of the United States during the election.
Despite laws that allow overseas voters to register and request absentee ballots, Blunt said that studies indicate there are still problems.
Despite laws that allow overseas voters to register and request absentee ballots, Blunt said that studies indicate there are still problems.
For example, the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) found in a September 2007 report that less than 17 percent of the 6 million citizens eligible under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act participated in the 2006 general election.
The EAC further found that of the 48,600 Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act ballots were not counted in the November 2006 elections, 70 percent were not counted due to incorrect or undeliverable addresses and that more than 10 percent of all uncounted military and overseas absentee ballots were rejected because they were received past the required deadline.
Blunt’s resolution would call on the Secretary of Defense to on a monthly basis beginning in July of 2008, provide all eligible members of the Armed Forces and their dependents with an electronic reminder of the voter registration and absentee ballot process in addition to an electronic or paper copy of the Federal Post Card Application, along with sufficient instruction on completing and returning the application to the appropriate election official. It would also call for reports from the Department of Defense to Congress on the progress in ensuring that all members of the Armed Forces and their dependents have the opportunity to vote.
The EAC further found that of the 48,600 Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act ballots were not counted in the November 2006 elections, 70 percent were not counted due to incorrect or undeliverable addresses and that more than 10 percent of all uncounted military and overseas absentee ballots were rejected because they were received past the required deadline.
Blunt’s resolution would call on the Secretary of Defense to on a monthly basis beginning in July of 2008, provide all eligible members of the Armed Forces and their dependents with an electronic reminder of the voter registration and absentee ballot process in addition to an electronic or paper copy of the Federal Post Card Application, along with sufficient instruction on completing and returning the application to the appropriate election official. It would also call for reports from the Department of Defense to Congress on the progress in ensuring that all members of the Armed Forces and their dependents have the opportunity to vote.
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Voters in Missouri’s 7th District Say
Incumbent Blunt Not Focused on “People Like Me”
SPRINGFIELD, MO. – By 47% to 41%, likely voters in Missouri's 7th Congressional District say incumbent Republican Congressman Roy Blunt is not focused on the needs of "people like me," according to a poll conducted by Voter Roll Call for the Monroe for Congress Committee.
72% of Democrats, 59% of Independents, 57% of Moderates and 59% of those who make less than $40,000 a year say Blunt is not focused on their needs.
While 47% of voters in the District say Blunt should be re-elected, almost as many, 41%, say it is time for a change.
65% in the district say the Economy in Southwest Missouri is weak.
47% say that things in Southwest Missouri are off on the wrong track, while only 36% say things are headed in the right direction.
A majority of Moderates and a plurality of Independents say they will vote for the Democrat in November.
“The writing on the wall is clear”, stated Democratic Congressional Candidate, Richard Monroe. “After twelve years of partisanship and attacks, southwest Missourians are looking for a Congressman who will work across party lines to end the gridlock and make real progress.”
Richard Monroe recently retired from the United States Attorney’s Office after twenty years of honorable service as a Federal Prosecutor.
Monroe went on to point out that earlier this year Representative Blunt voted against establishing an Office of Congressional Ethics. Continued Monroe, “as a Federal Prosecutor, I dealt with a broad range of Federal crimes from health care fraud to drug enforcement, immigration enforcement to financial frauds, murder and everything in between. Not only will I support restoring integrity and ethics to Congress, I’ll fight to restore them everyday I’m in Washington.”
Voter Roll Call is the non-media polling arm of SurveyUSA.
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