OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Soldiers Overseas Should Have Their Votes Counted

Floor Speech

Date: June 10, 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Military Personnel Elections

SOLDIERS OVERSEAS SHOULD HAVE THEIR VOTES COUNTED

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Mr. FLEMING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today out of concern with the recent news that one out of every four ballots requested by military personnel and other Americans living overseas may have gone uncounted in the 2008 election. These findings were released in a recent Senate hearing.

The report claims that of 441,000 absentee ballots requested, 98,000 were claimed to be lost. Over 13,000 were rejected because of missing signatures or failure to notarize. Another 11,000 were returned as undeliverable.

I agree with Senator Schumer that this system needs an overhaul. While serving our country overseas, our soldiers deserve to have their votes counted and their voices heard. We need to ensure there is sufficient time for ballots to reach them and have them fill them out and return them for inclusion for their vote to count.

The cornerstone of democracy, Mr. Speaker, is the right to vote. Those sacrificing to protect this right should be given every chance to participate in the electoral process.

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