New Web Site Aims At Ensuring Overseas Military Votes Are Counted

Site assists U.S. military personnel serving overseas: TexasMilitaryVote.com

AUSTIN, Texas -- A new web site has been launched that aims to help ensure more overseas U.S military service members' ballots are counted. Last election cycle, some two-thirds of the nearly 1,000,000 overseas military ballots requested were not counted.

The site (TexasMilitaryVote.com) provides useful assistance on how to register to vote, request an absentee ballot and vote by mail. The web site is also intended to help family members and friends provide their loved ones in the military with important voting information. It was launched by United States Senator John Cornyn, who has sponsored legislation to make voting easier for our men and women serving overseas and to ensure that their votes are counted.

"It doesn't matter if the service member is Republican, Democrat or independent. When these men and women protect our freedom and security, they deserve to vote. I hope this web site makes it easier for all U.S. military personnel stationed overseas or away from home to let their voices be heard in this year's important election," Senator Cornyn added.

Senator Cornyn is leading an effort to protect the right to vote for U.S. military personnel serving overseas. He is working to advance several steps that would significantly improve the process of delivering military absentee ballots to ensure every vote counts. Senator Cornyn introduced the Military Voting Protection Act of 2008 (MVP Act), S. 3073. This legislation would reduce delays and red tape in the absentee voting system currently in place for our overseas troops by requiring the Department of Defense to collect and provide for express shipping of their completed absentee ballots. There are currently 30 co-sponsors.

"The ability to vote is the foundation of our democracy. The men and women who defend America must be guaranteed this right," Senator Cornyn said. "All too often our service members overseas or away from home find their votes won't count because of unnecessary difficulties in the process. That's unacceptable."

Senator Cornyn has worked on other initiatives this year to improve the military absentee voting system. This includes pushing administrative solutions to cut through the bureaucratic red tape that delays the absentee voting system. In a letter to U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey and during a Senate hearing, Senator Cornyn urged the Justice Department to protect military voting rights. He called for an investigation into whether federal voting officials are fulfilling their legal obligations to help overseas U.S. military service members and their dependents vote.

In addition, Senator Cornyn will place ads in a number of newspapers around Texas informing military personnel and their families about the new web site. He will run ads in papers near the following military installations: Dyess Air Force Base, Fort Bliss, Fort Hood, Fort Sam Houston, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Red River Army Depot, among others.

"This web site will make it easier for American men and women in uniform to carry out the right they protect for all Americans--participation in the democratic process," Senator Cornyn concluded.

The deadline to register to vote in Texas is October 6. The last day to apply for a ballot by mail is October 28, but voters overseas are encouraged to do so as soon as possible.