Military voters can now register for elections at any base
Published: December 30, 2009
Earlier this month, at the urging of lawmakers, Pentagon officials agreed to designate all military installations as federal voter registration agencies. The move is designed to give servicemembers more chances to update addresses, receive ballots, change their state registration and -- hopefully -- successfully cast a vote.
That's a big deal, and not just for military voting rights. Earlier this year Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, placed a hold on the president's nomination for under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness (Clifford Stanley) until the issue was resolved.
Family members will also be able to use the voting services on base to update or renew their election registrations. In a statement Senate Rule Committee Chairman Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., called the decision overdue and a win for democracy.
“This is a bold step by the Pentagon that will turn U.S. military bases across the globe into one-stop shops for active-duty troops who wish to vote," he said. "It will guarantee that service members will have easy access to the ballot box no matter where they are deployed."
Earlier this year, President Obama signed into law a bill sponsored by Schumer and Cornyn requiring states to send out balloting materials to troops deployed overseas at least 45 days prior to an election, and requiring states to make ballot and registration materials available electronically.
The 2010 midterm election primaries are fast approaching, so the change is likely just the first of a number of major military voting announcements over the next few months.
