All posts tagged voting abroad

Courts back Military & Overseas Voters

by waybeyondthebeltway on October 19, 2009 in Americans Abroad with No comments

Federal Voting Assistance Program- News Release # 17 October 19, 2009

Courts back Military & Overseas Voters

U.S. District Court Opinion in Favor of Counting Late Absentee Virginia Ballots for the 2008 General Election!

October 19, 2009 – Arlington, VA

A federal district court in Richmond, Va. ruled yesterday that Virginia violated the voting rights of American military personnel and other overseas citizens by failing to mail absentee ballots in sufficient time for them to be counted in the Nov. 4, 2008, general election.

Ruling in a 2008 lawsuit by the Justice Department, U.S. District Court Judge Richard L. Williams declared that Virginia’s failure to mail more than 2,000 absentee ballots at least 30 days prior to the election violated the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), a federal law that guarantees military personnel and other citizens living abroad the right to vote by absentee ballot in federal elections.  The Department of Justice press release can be found at http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2009/October/09-crt-1114.html.

The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) is pleased with the decision of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia to count absentee ballots received by certain Virginia counties for the November 4, 2008 general election.

The decision reaffirms the importance of every vote, and upholds the confidence of our military and overseas citizens who participate in the electoral process.

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If you’d like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Director Bob Carey, please call Maj April Cunningham with DoD Public Affairs at 703-697-5131 or email Maj Cunningham at april.cunningham@osd.mil.  If you’d like more information on the DoD Federal Voting Assistance Program or need help with the absentee voting process please contact the FVAP at 703-588-1584 (toll free 1-800-438-VOTE) or email the program at VOTE@FVAP.NCR.GOV.

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FAWCO – Calling all UOCAVA voters!

by waybeyondthebeltway on June 6, 2009 in Americans Abroad with No comments

FAWCO has posted an excellent summary of two key bills impacting American voters abroad and a call to action.

The call to action includes a sample letter to members of Congress in support of these measures. The bills will be marked up on Wednesday so please send your letters of support as soon as possible — Wednesday morning at the latest.

AMOVR: the Alliance for Military and Overseas Voting Rights

by waybeyondthebeltway on June 4, 2009 in Americans Abroad with 1 Comment

AMOVR, formed in the fall of 2008 following the Pew Summit on “Democracy at a Distance”, groups overseas citizens’ advocacy organizations; state, local and federal election officials; and all branches of the military including active and retired service members and their families. The Alliance aims to effect real change in voting procedures for Americans abroad before the 2012 elections and to ensure that absent military and overseas civilian voters enjoy the equal right and ability to vote. You can read more in this press release here on the Overseas Vote Foundation’s website.

House Hearing on Overseas Voting

by waybeyondthebeltway on April 16, 2008 in Americans Abroad, Voting with No comments

The House Committee on House Administration held a hearing on Tuesday on “Military and Overseas Voting: Problems and Progress in Ensuring the Vote.” Click here to view a webcast of the hearing.

Democrats Abroad Vote and the Washington Post Listens

by waybeyondthebeltway on February 10, 2008 in Americans Abroad, Voting, Washington with No comments

The venerable Washington Post has joined the fray and reported on the historic Democrats Abroad primary vote. The International Herald Tribune has been all over this story, but its great to have the paper of record inside the Beltway take notice. The Post points out that the campaigns and their surrogates are reaching out to the expatriate community for votes and cash:

Before the caucuses opened on Super Tuesday, Obama supporter Zbigneiw Brzezinski rallied voters in nine European cities via conference call; local TV stations covered the event. … . Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton have both traveled to London for fundraisers. Clinton supporters in London distributed cookies and worked polling stations when the caucuses opened Tuesday.

The Democrats Abroad Global Presidential Primary runs through next Tuesday, February 12 so if you haven’t voted yet you still have time.