Thread: How Do The Toops Vote Factor In?

I am curious... How many troops do we have that will be voting?

And where do those votes factor in?


I have not seen any evidence on polls and msm that those votes are even recognized!?

How can we have a fair election if all of our heroes are not counted?

Why does the media neglect this huge block of voters and what is the effect of their votes compared to the way they handle citizens?

Probably because those serving would not vote for Obama? I'm sure his campaign polled the troops during Obama's "fact finding" trip to Iraq and perhaps were not happy with the results?

Originally Posted by miguelina

Probably because those serving would not vote for Obama? I'm sure his campaign polled the troops during Obama's "fact finding" trip to Iraq and perhaps were not happy with the results?

I get what you're saying but Doesn't every American citizen get a private vote?

And if so Where do the Troops Fall and get represented?

I'm so confused about this and with this election I believe that every good vote counts. So where do the troops fall and how are they represented to the public?

Troops apparently vote by absentee ballot, something I heard about two centuries ago at the beginning of this campaign. Good question. Is there a poll of our soldiers around the world? If not there should be.

Originally Posted by vortex

Troops apparently vote by absentee ballot, something I heard about two centuries ago at the beginning of this campaign. Good question. Is there a poll of our soldiers around the world? If not there should be.

Thats what I'm thinking right now HOW many will vote, and how does that factor in?

Originally Posted by 93camaro

Originally Posted by miguelina

Probably because those serving would not vote for Obama? I'm sure his campaign polled the troops during Obama's "fact finding" trip to Iraq and perhaps were not happy with the results?

I get what you're saying but Doesn't every American citizen get a private vote?

And if so Where do the Troops Fall and get represented?

I'm so confused about this and with this election I believe that every good vote counts. So where do the troops fall and how are they represented to the public?

Oh sorry, I misunderstood. They vote by absentee ballot and all the ballots are sent back to the US, to be counted on or about Nov. 5th. American citizens working and living overseas do the same thing.

Supposedly, during the last presidential election, the majority of the military absentee ballots were not counted (some arrived late, mistakes, etc.).

Originally Posted by MW

Supposedly, during the last presidential election, the majority of the military absentee ballots were not counted (some arrived late, mistakes, etc.).

That's wrong wrong wrong. They, of all people, should have a strong voice in who their next commander in chief will be.

Well that is totally wrong, and the public needs that information, If you ask me the troops vote is more important than the smaller minority vote in certain states that the media and candidates focus so much time on. Something needs to be done.

Published on HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com (http://hamptonroads.com)
McCain campaign sues over overseas military ballots

RICHMOND

John McCain's presidential campaign filed a federal suit Monday against Virginia seeking to extend by 10 days the deadline for the state's acceptance of military members' federal absentee ballots.

Word of the suit emerged Monday afternoon, around the time that a separate election-related injunction request to extend voting hours in today's election was being rejected in federal court.

A national voter rights group, the Advancement Project, and the state NAACP chapter sued the state last week claiming unfair election practices and sought court action to change the distribution of voting machines in Norfolk, Richmond and Virginia Beach, extend polling hours and permit wider use of paper ballots.

Judge Richard Williams did not grant the immediate injunction, though the suit is expected to proceed at a later date. In his ruling, Williams reasoned that last-minute changes to the election format could harm the public in the name of protecting voters potentially disenfranchised by current state election laws.

The McCain suit, meanwhile, seeks an injunction to extend the date by which federal write-in absentee ballots must be received to be counted. The current deadline is today, but the suit seeks to have the date changed to Nov. 14.

"Because many counties in Virginia failed to mail absentee ballots in time to our men and women in uniform stationed overseas, service members are being disenfranchised because they are unable to return their ballots before the November 4 deadline," campaign spokeswoman Gail Gitcho said in a written statement about the suit, which is scheduled to be heard in Williams' courtroom at 1:30 p.m. today.

Chesapeake, Suffolk and Virginia Beach are among the localities cited in the lawsuit as those that mailed absentee ballots overseas in late September. The suit argues that service members didn't have enough time to cast their votes and return them stateside.

Estimates range between federal agencies, but systemic impediments to overseas voting are seen as a hindrance that keeps service members stationed abroad from voting with the same success rate as the domestic population.

This is the second recent flap over federal absentee ballots; an earlier dispute was resolved last week when state election officials allowed about 100 ballots to be counted that otherwise would have been disqualified under state law.

Responding to the suit, Obama campaign spokesman Kevin Griffis said the Democratic presidential candidate "is strongly committed to protecting the rights of veterans and active-duty military. That is why our campaign sent a letter to every secretary of state earlier this fall urging them to do everything they can to ensure that the vote of active military and veterans are counted."

In the earlier lawsuit regarding voting equipment and hours, Williams acknowledged in his ruling that he would like to see Virginia adopt the early voting rules used by some other states, and also use more voting machines on Election Day. "Those changes have to come from the Virginia General Assembly, not the court," he said.

The judge, however, ordered state election officials to publicize the availability of curbside voting for elderly and disabled citizens and to remind voters that anyone in line when polls close at 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

After Monday's hearing, NAACP national President Ben Jealous urged voters to be patient as they wait in Election Day lines.

"We are urging all voters to stay in line tomorrow," Jealous said. "Americans have waited 230 years for this: a multi-gender, multi-generational, multi-racial" election.

"This is a big day. Stay in line," he said.

Julian Walker, (804) 697-1564, julian.walker@pilotonline.com
Source URL (retrieved on 11/04/2008 - 14:12): http://hamptonroads.com/2008/11/mccain- ... ry-ballots