Why we need Internet voting for military
Image
There’s exciting news for members of the National Guard’s 81st Heavy Brigade Combat Team and their families. The unit is coming home after a nine-month deployment in Iraq. Check out these stories in the Yakima Herald-Republic and Seattle Times.
The folks in the Office of Secretary of State are among those who are happy about their return. Last summer, our Elections Division organized a major effort to ensure the 81st members were registered to vote before they went overseas.
The brigade, 3,200 soldiers from Washington and California, is expected to be released from federal service by August 18. But we haven’t heard when they’ll return to Washington. Many will be in transit from Iraq to Washington State when counties mail out military ballots on July 19 for the August 18 Primary Election, so it will be extremely difficult for ballots to catch up to these National Guard members in time. (Like all other voters, military voters have until the August 18 Primary date to send in their primary ballot.)
This is just another example why Washington should give our military and overseas voters the option to vote via the Internet, state election officials say. (Washingtonians who serve as missionaries or peace workers in primitive locations overseas face a similar problem of receiving and returning ballots in time.)
Secretary of State Sam Reed requested legislation this year (HB 1624 and SB 5522) to authorize a pilot program for online voting by military and overseas voters in some counties. Neither proposal was approved by the Legislature, but Reed plans to renew his request in the upcoming 2010 legislative session.
After being away from home for nine months and living in a very tough and sometimes hostile environment, it is a shame that many of our National Guard soldiers might not have their voices heard in the upcoming primary, election officials believe.
(no html)
Secretary of State
Steve Hobbs
Image
