In Focus This Week
Military service members, other overseas voters face hurdles to voting
New Web site to provide crucial assistance in registering to vote
The Pew Charitable Trusts and Overseas Vote Foundation (OVF) announced new Web-based voter services to help the more than six million Americans — members of the military and civilians living overseas — take the steps necessary to vote in upcoming elections.
A recent government report revealed that 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,” said 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. The 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 new Web site and integrated voter services applications, offer a user-friendly online system to automate the complex process facing military 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.
“This initiative sets a new standard in the arena of overseas and military voter services. It is no longer acceptable to offer a hodge-podge of cryptic, text-only instructions to military personnel and other citizens overseas. Our years of experience and post-election voter surveys have enabled us to design a site that caters to overseas and military voters’ unique needs. The choice of three live, dynamic applications instantly engages the voter on the new OVF starting page—no politics, no fund-drives, and no distraction,” said Susan Dzieduszycka-Suinat, President and CEO of Overseas Vote Foundation.
The Web site prompts the voter for information necessary to register to vote in his/her home state in accordance with each state’s unique regulations. Error-checks occur during the process to ensure that the voter does not forget any required information. The site then generates an official form in PDF format and provides the voter with the correct county election office address for mailing. The program eliminates the need to individually research and navigate unique state regulations and mailing instructions by doing away with the necessity of culling through pages of instructions.
Along with the new site, OVF is announcing a State-Hosted Systems licensing program which enables states to license the new OVF software for their own customized use. Alabama, Minnesota and Ohio are the first states to adopt the OVF-hosted system software for their own election Web sites, giving voters from those states, including those serving in the military and living overseas, access to online registration and ballot request services and information about voting requirements.
“Men and women of the United States Military and their families stationed overseas already give up many things in order to serve our country—the sacred right to vote should not be one of them,” said Alabama Secretary of State Beth Chapman. “Working with OVF and Pew will ensure that members of our military have easier access to registering to vote and casting their ballots in upcoming elections.”
“As my state’s chief election official, I am dedicated to ensuring that all eligible citizens have an opportunity to cast their ballots, and I am gratified that Ohio’s military and other overseas voters will now have access to this tool to assist them in making their voices heard on the questions facing America in 2008 and beyond,” said Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner.
According to electionline.org’s analysis, overseas and uniformed services voters must navigate complicated state and local regulations that often delay receipt and processing of both their registration forms and absentee ballots. Outmoded systems employed by election offices and sluggish domestic and international mail services also hamper overseas voters trying to cast their ballots in an effective and timely manner. With this year’s compressed political calendar, these challenges will be exacerbated. While technological innovations around the country, including fax and email voting, have become more widespread, they are still not available to many overseas citizens. The new OVF site and services provide a much needed resource for Americans living abroad.
The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) requires states to allow absent uniformed service members 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.
Election Reform News This Week
- A judge has ruled that 22 months after the Jan. 1, 2006 deadline, Alabama is finally in compliance with the statewide voter registration database requirement of the Help America Vote Act. According to the Press-Register, the ruling came after Gov. Bob Riley, who had been appointed as special master to oversee the compliance, testified before the court that the state has “a single, uniform, official, centralized, interactive computerized statewide voter registration system,” The governor said all 67 counties in the state “have a uniform, automated voter registration system as required.”
- Earlier this month Judge Charles Breyer temporarily barred the federal government from implementing new rules that would likely lead to widespread layoffs if the government could not match the Social Security number on employee records to the federal Social Security Administration database. Voting rights advocates believe this will bolster their recent challenge to Florida’s system for registering voters. Under Florida law, election officials do not register citizens who have applied to vote if the state cannot match or otherwise validate their driver’s license or Social Security number with the state’s motor vehicle database or the federal Social Security Administration database. Advocates went to court on September 17th to challenge this law – arguing that insignificant errors will effectively disenfranchise tens of thousands of Florida citizens, and keep them from voting in the 2008 presidential election. “The problems Judge Breyer identified with the federal Social Security matching system apply to Florida’s voter registration law, and could have a major impact in Florida,” Myrna Pérez, Counsel at the Brennan Center and a counsel to the plaintiffs bringing the Florida suit said in a press release.
- In other driver’s license news, election officials in New York continue to fight Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s plan to allow undocumented immigrants to apply for a driver’s license. In Rensselaer County, the Republican-controlled legislature has warned county elections commissioners that the governor’s plan could open the door to undocumented immigrants registering to vote. According to The Record, the Republican leadership issued a directive ordering the Board of Elections and staff to request a Social Security card or number from anyone registering to vote if there is any suspicion the person is in the country illegally. “We are expecting that there’s going to be people trying to fraudulently register to vote,” Richard Crist, a spokesman for the Republican Majority told the paper. However, Edward McDonough, Democratic Board of Elections commissioner, called the move a political stunt and said the Legislature has not asked the board to do anything that it doesn’t already do.
- For years Thurston County, Wash. voter Wally DeMucha has simply tossed his ballot in the mail sans postage stamp and it’s been delivered. Now, officials in Thurston County have decided to send him pre-paid envelopes instead of fighting him. “It’s unusual for us to do that,” elections manager Steve Homan told The Olympian, explaining the decision to send the envelopes was at the direction of the Office of the Secretary of State. “He’s an older gentleman; instead of fighting him, they said to go ahead and provide what he wanted.” DeMucha told the paper that he appreciated the envelopes, but that what he was really trying to accomplish was eliminating anyone having to pay for postage, which he says amounts to a poll tax. Legislation is currently pending in Congress that would provide federal dollars for postage in presidential elections.
Opinions This Week
California: Voting systems, II, Vote-by-mail
Florida: Palm Beach County elections
Georgia: Voter ID
Indiana: Voter ID
Iowa: Voter ID
Kansas: Polling sites
Mississippi: Vote fraud
New York: HAVA, Accessible voting
North Carolina: Voter ID
Oregon: Vote-by-mail
Pennsylvania: Accessible voting
Tennessee: Paper ballots
Texas: Early primaries
Utah: Student voters
Washington: Mail ballots, Elections director
Some sites require registration
Job Postings This Week
All job listings must be received by 12 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday for publication in our Thursday newsletter. Job listings are free but may be edited for length. Whenever possible, include Internet information. Please email job postings to mmoretti@electionline.org
Election Director — Orange County, N.C. Reporting to the Orange County Board of Elections, this position provides administrative, technical, and managerial support to the Board and directs the registration, voting and election activities for the County. The Director of Elections is appointed by the Orange County Board of Elections and approved by the State. The successful candidate will supervise a staff of three permanent employees and will direct and supervise precinct office operations to ensure compliance with all related laws and procedures. The position oversees pre-election activities and ensures that the elections are conducted efficiently and in compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Representative duties include: Preparing legal notices for publication in newspapers, television, radio and web pages; maintaining the timetable for board members’ duties established by the State Board of Elections; preparing and maintaining the calendar of required board meetings and training for board members and staff; serving as secretary to the Board of Elections; prepares resolutions, bond ballots, and other board-related legal matters, in consultation with attorneys; and prepares ballots for all elections, including overseeing printing and production and ensuring that all supplies, materials and equipment are available for voting on election days. Qualifications: Requires any combination of education and experience equivalent to graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree in public administration, business administration or related field and at least five years progressively responsible experience in state or local government elections. One year of supervisory experience is preferred. Requires excellent computer skills. Prefer knowledge of election system software, including United Software. Excellent communications skills and demonstrated ability to effectively interact with the citizens, elected officials and candidates, and the Board are required. Possession of or the ability to obtain a North Carolina State Board of Elections certification within one year of hire is necessary. Salary: $65,014 – $84,473. Application: Send resume and county application to: Orange County Personnel Dept.; 208 South Cameron Street, Post Office Box 8181; Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278; Telephone: (919) 245-2550, Facsimile: (919) 644-3009; online at www.co.orange.nc.us Deadline: Nov. 5, 2007.
Elections Manager — Multnomah County, Ore. (Portland). Responsible for managing, directing and coordinating the activities of the Elections Division staff; providing highly complex assistance to elected officials, public agencies and related jurisdictions, and informing the public in all issues involving election activities. Manage, direct and organize division activities including voter registration, maintenance of voter rolls, conduct of elections and implementation of contribution and expenditure report laws; lead the development and implementation of program budget, goals and objectives; develop and implement policies and procedures for an efficient and effective team environment and operation; monitor, develop and implement national and state election legislation and legal decisions; monitor and implement current election trends and technologies; manage the Division’s record and retention program. Represent Multnomah County Elections to the media; respond to questions or inquiries; resolve complaints from the public; manage Division communication with vendors and other outside agencies; lead a professionally open and transparent operational environment. Qualifications: Any relevant combination of the following educational background and experience would meet the minimum qualifications for the position: four years of increasingly responsible management experience, including two years of supervisory experience; history of proven leadership: managerial and supervisory skills are a must; management experience involving elections is highly desirable. Management experience involving vote by mail is preferred; equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in public or business administration or a related field is required. Priority will be given to candidates who understand Federal policies and directives regarding elections, as well as the role of government in preparing for and responding to election needs and requirements. Salary is $64,166 to $89,831. Application: Send a cover letter and resume (e-mail preferred) to Jerry Petty at the following address: Multnomah County Department of Community Services; 1600 SE 190th Ave, Suite #224; Portland, OR 97233; jerry.d.petty@co.multnomah.or.us. Deadline: Nov. 30, 2007. Web site: www.multcojobs.org.