Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act

[FayeforCure]

What the Move Act Means For You
by Clair Whitmer, OVF on January 16, 2010
Without a doubt, the news story of 2009 as regards military and overseas voting was the enactment of the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act, a law that not only includes several specific changes to increase enfranchisement of overseas and military voters but signaled a change in the legislative attitude on this issue.

As one voting rights newsletter put it, all of a sudden, overseas voters are “in”.

The four main planks in MOVE are:

elimination of notarization requirements for overseas ballots in the states that still require this, as well as other registration requirements imposed specifically on UOCAVA voters.
all states must make voter registration and absentee ballot applications available electronically, as well as General Election information. MOVE also requires that all states make a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot, matching the design and functionality launched last year by Overseas Vote Foundation, available online for when official ballots don’t arrive in time.
all overseas and military voters must re-register for every election cycle, instead of every two election cycles.
all states must plan, as of this year, for a 45-day window for the ballot "round-trip".
This last element is already causing headaches for election officials. The problem is that many primaries, those held in August or September, are quite simply too late for this new timeline.

Several states have acted to move their primary dates or to request a waiver in 2010. On the other hand, some states are already talking about faxing and emailing ballots as a workaround. West Virginia has even launched a pilot program allowing military voters to cast ballots electronically.

So, what does this all mean for you, the overseas voter, this year?

possible changes in your state’s primary schedule so make sure you check the State-Specific Voter Information Directory for election dates and deadlines

it means that you’ll need to, as we’ve always recommended, re-register every election year

as of the General Election, it will mean that your state must be able to deliver your unvoted ballot "electronically", which could mean via a website, email or fax machine

But…if you’re a OVF user, then you already have access to most of the online tools the MOVE Act legislates: electronic registration and ballot request forms and a Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (the “emergency” ballot) that automatically fills in the official candidate names and the right mailing address.

Do we at OVF think the MOVE Act will help overseas voters?

Indeed: the sending of blank ballots online alone can substantially cut the amount of time required for the voting process.

Once states commit to fully enfranchising overseas voters, dramatic changes can take place very quickly.

Overseas Vote Foundation last summer published a Case Study on the remarkable story of Minnesota which - through a combination of focused outreach, electoral rules changes and the use of a OVF-hosted website  - increased the number of oversease ballots returned by a stupendous 282 percent in 2008 over 2006. (Minnesota Takes the Lead)

But let’s also be clear that the use of the Internet to deliver voting materials is not the same thing as Internet-based voting. We at OVF - and many other voting advocates - believe there are still too much risk of identity theft, fraud and confidentiality to conflate these two. MOVE modernizes the balloting process without entering these muddy waters.

BOTTOM LINE: the MOVE Act bodes well for an increase in the number of votes cast from overseas.

Let’s show that we’re worth this effort: Vote in 2010!

Have a comment or want to suggest a topic?

Write to Clair Whitmer, OVF Director of Voter Outreach

https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/node/282

I wonder if Florida is trying to move their primary date to accomodate the Overseas Military Vote?

[FayeforCure]

The Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act was part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010.

H.R. 2647: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010
Oct 28, 2009: Became Public Law No: 111-84.
Includes:
-- Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act
-- Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act
-- Military Commissions Act of 2009
-- Military Construction Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010
-- Non-Foreign AREA Act of 2009
-- Non-Foreign Area Retirement Equity Assurance Act of 2009
-- Success in Countering Al Qaeda Reporting Requirements Act of 2009
-- Victims of Iranian Censorship Act
-- VOICE Act

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-2647

Please check out the votes by your Representatives:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2009-770

[BridgeTroll]

Thanks Faye... I support this.  Like many things... there may be more involved than a simple up down vote.  I checked out the amndments to the bill and noticed two amendments requested by republicans were rejected.  I dont know but these could be a reason a group might reject the entire bill.  Perhaps this bill had other "riders" or amendments that were objectionable to various voters.  Frequently parties attach "poison pills" to bills forcing certain blocs to reject legislation that they would normally vote for.

But you already know this.