Who Gets To Vote?

Major H/T/ to McKatmoon, an alert reader at No Quarter, for this tip. This is disturbing. Here's the story: John McCain filed a lawsuit in VA at this late date for a reason you are not going to believe. It turns out that the absentee ballots required by military personnel serving abroad were sent out LATE, thus nullifying their votes. I say again: our military personnel from VA are NOT GOING TO GET TO VOTE because of massive errors in 3 counties (Arlington, Chesterfield, and Fauquier), as well as in the cities of Virginia Beach and Richmond. It seems that it wasn't until late September befoer they even received their absentee ballot forms. How did that happen? I guess that's what Senator McCain wants to know, too:

The suit filed by Mr. McCain's campaign against elections officials states Mr. McCain could lose votes from military members overseas who support the Vietnam War hero.

"There are many military service members and overseas voters who support Senator John McCain for president in the upcoming election and whose right to vote will be denied without relief from this court," stated the complaint, also filed in U.S. District Court in Richmond.

The complaint states some Virginia localities did not send absentee ballots to overseas voters at least 45 days before the election, as recommended in 2004 by a congressionally created commission.

Wow. That is just a tad problematic, don't you think? It is 2008 - surely 4 years is sufficient lead time to make sure that everything is squared away in order to fulfill this recommendation. Just sayin'.

This lawsuit was sparked by one case - see? Making your voice heard DOES matter! Hopefully, anyway. THe article continues:

The complaint cites the specific case of a Marine stationed in Iraq who did not receive his absentee ballot from Arlington County until Oct. 29. It asks that the court order absentee ballots for federal offices sent by Nov. 4 from qualified voters and received by Nov. 14 in the state to be counted.

"The McCain-Palin campaign believes without exception that the servicemen and women on the front line protecting our freedoms deserve every opportunity to make sure their vote counts," McCain spokeswoman Gail Gitcho said.

It was not clear last night when the suit would be heard in court.

"Of course we want to make sure that all the absentee ballots that are coming in from overseas are counted," Miss Skinner said. "We'll comply with whatever order the judge gives on that."

I dunno - I don't think 10 days is all that long to wait, all things considered, do you? Whether one agrees with the Iraq War (I don't), the reality is that these people are putting their lives on the line, their lives at home on hold, making sacrifices the enormity of which many of us cannot fathom, including, sadly, the ultimate sacrifice for some. I think the least we can do is allow them to VOTE. THis goes for ALL of our military serving abroad, whether it be Iraq, or Afghanistan, or Germany - wherever it is, our citizens deserve to execute their right in a democracy to cast their vote. Anything less is unacceptable, especially when they are in harm's way. And especially when people like these two get to vote unimpeded:



Isn't it weird seeing people go up and hug them? Like they are just anybody else in the neighborhood, not two unrepentant domestic terrorists who want to teach their children?? I wonder - was it from them that Obama learned to be a con man? Ahem.

So, yeah - I don't think 10 days is too much to ask to allow late absentee ballots from our military, through no fault of their own, to come back in, do you?