Feds Deny Hawaii Election Waiver Request
Hawaii has come under the national spotlight, along with some other states, for sending out its ballots to military voters later than the 45 days prior to election day mandated by the MOVE Act, signed into law by the President in October 2009. Because the military tends to vote Republican, partisanship in our heavily Democratic state is suspected to be behind the tardy mailings.
Today Hawaii, along with three other states, has been denied its request to ignore the new law. The U.S. Department of Justice has said that it will sue if Hawaii does not voluntarily comply.
-----------
Honolulu Star-Advertiser
by Associated Press and Star-Advertiser staff
Aug 27, 2010
Hawaii is one of four states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands that were denied requests today to ignore a new federal law meant to protect the voting rights of deployed troops and other Americans overseas.
Five states were granted the waiver.?? Not getting the waiver calls into question how the affected states -- including Wisconsin, Alaska and Colorado -- will comply with deadlines for counting all votes cast by members of the military and other Americans living overseas.
Under the new federal law, ballots to members of the military and others living overseas have to be sent 45 days before the Nov. 2 election.??
But Hawaii's Sept. 18 primary election is exactly 45 days before the general. That leaves too little time to certify the primary results and send out general election ballots.
Chief Elections Officer Scott Nago issued a statement today saying that his office continued to work with federal authorities to be in compliance with the law and to change election rules to allow for electronic transmission of ballots and ballot requests.
Read more . . .
---
Links:
Legislative Alert: Military Voting Rights [HPI]
DOD denies 4 states military ballot law waiver [AP]
Military Voting Waivers Denied For Colorado, 3 Other States [Huffington Post]
- Login to post comments