VA the new FL

**flipper** · 10-25-2008, 12:32 PM

Quote:

An obscure state law and an ambiguous federal ballot form are combining to invalidate some of the thousands of absentee votes being cast this fall by Virginians overseas, most of them in the military.

http://www.military.com/news/article...=1186032310810

But its nice to see that prisoners can vote.

Quote:

Inmates at the Fairfax County jail were encouraged to register and vote last week by elections officials making what the county’s sheriff called the first visit of its kind in his 30 years with the county.

http://www.dcexaminer.com/local/peop...r_inmates.html

**sobeit** · 10-25-2008, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Virginia's address requirement was adopted in 2002 as part of a sweeping revision of state election laws sponsored by Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, a Republican who was then a state senator from Hanover County.

there needs to be a better way for those in the military to vote.

**40sondacurb** · 10-25-2008, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flipper

But its nice to see that prisoners can vote.

with overcrowding being what it is most of those guys will get bumped down to misdemeanors.

**Chode** · 10-25-2008, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sobeit

there needs to be a better way for those in the military to vote.

Absolutely! "In Hampton Roads, several registrars contacted Thursday said they either have not received any of the federal write-in forms or have not sorted their absentee ballots to identify the forms. Registrars typically do not review absentee votes until Election Day, when they're treated as a separate precinct and counted.

Service members deployed overseas are encouraged to apply for absentee ballots from their home states. The process typically must be initiated months before the election so that ballots can be mailed and received by Election Day.

The system "doesn't work very well," said Kevin Sidenstricker, a retired Navy commander who took part in Herrity's news conference. Because of that, many service members take advantage of a federal law that allows them to download and mail in a federal ballot form, commonly referred to as a "backup ballot."

**sobeit** · 10-26-2008, 06:41 AM

I remembered when I was overseas(South Korea) and had to vote, there was a federal ballot and everyone in my office got one. The officer stood and watch everyone voted, we put the ballot into an envelope and sealed it. This was in 1980 so I dont remember everything (I slept a couple of times since then) but I do remember having to put the city, county and state on the envelopes.

To be honest, at the time, I did not give any thought as to whether or not my ballot would be counted.

bry623 · 10-27-2008, 08:06 AM

What do you expect from the state that housed the confederate government?

**Chode** · 10-27-2008, 05:56 PM

My three years in Virginia taught me that there are some things the state does very well. Obviously, this isn't one of them.

10-26-2008, 06:41 AM	#5 (permalink)
sobeit TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: NEAR Posts: 7,433 OS: windows/linux	Re: VA the new FL I remembered when I was overseas(South Korea) and had to vote, there was a federal ballot and everyone in my office got one. The officer stood and watch everyone voted, we put the ballot into an envelope and sealed it. This was in 1980 so I dont remember everything (I slept a couple of times since then) but I do remember having to put the city, county and state on the envelopes. To be honest, at the time, I did not give any thought as to whether or not my ballot would be counted. __________________ there's been global warming since the ice age

10-27-2008, 08:06 AM	#6 (permalink)
bry623 Manager, The Conversation Pit/Analyst, Security Team Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: NW Territory circa 1787 Posts: 11,692 OS: winxp pro sp2	Re: VA the new FL What do you expect from the state that housed the confederate government? __________________ "If you aren't a liberal when you're 20, you have no heart. If you aren't a conservative when you are 50, you have no brain"

10-27-2008, 05:56 PM	#7 (permalink)
Chode TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,280 OS: Windows XP Pro	Re: VA the new FL My three years in Virginia taught me that there are some things the state does very well. Obviously, this isn't one of them. __________________ Sweet!