Posted : Friday Nov 30, 2007 6:59:12 EST
NEW YORK — U.S. troops in Iraq and other places around the world are center stage in this year’s presidential election. But when it comes to casting votes for the candidates, American soldiers and other U.S. citizens living abroad often face daunting obstacles. A new report from the Century Foundation sheds light on this problem, which has received surprisingly little public attention. It also warns that with a frontloaded primary system and a large number of caucuses, U.S. military personnel and other citizens living abroad could find it more difficult than ever to have their votes count.
In a report titled "Bringing Voting Rights to Military and Overseas Voters," author Tova Wang, Democracy Fellow at the Century Foundation, explains how difficult it is for military and overseas voters to cast a ballot, examines the problems encountered in making sure that their votes are counted, and suggests reforms for both easing the procedural problems and improving turnout among this often neglected group of voters.
According to the report, a survey by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission showed that only 5.5 percent of eligible military and overseas voters actually participated successfully in the 2006 midterm election.
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/11/ap_troopvoting_071130/
