Pew study: Ballot access improved for overseas troops

The United States has made major advancements in the past two years in offering access to ballot and voting to members of the military serving overseas, according to a study released Friday by the Pew Center on the States.

To comply with the passage of the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act in 2009, 47 states plus the District of Columbia have enacted laws to ensure members of the military and citizens overseas have enough time to vote absentee, and have access to the blank ballots they need to be able to vote.

"Everyone assumes that military men and women, since they're being sent around the world by our government, surely our government is making sure they can vote. But that just has not historically been the case," said retired Rear Adm. James Carey, who has been working with Pew on the issue.

Over the past two years, eight states have changed the dates of their primary elections to accommodate military voters, while 38 states plus the capital city have established rules or laws that go beyond the federal requirement to provide ballots to overseas voters at least 45 days before elections.

And every state now allows blank ballots to be sent electronically, either by fax, email or over the Internet.

David Becker, who directs Pew's elections initiative, said the report reflects substantial improvements, but that more work must be done to fulfill what he called a moral imperative to ensure military members and their families are able to vote consistently. He said the center will be observing the November 2012 elections for evidence of how the new rules are working in practice.

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