Wow - One-fourth of overseas votes go uncounted

[progressoid]

WASHINGTON (AP) — One out of every four ballots requested by military personnel and other Americans living overseas for the 2008 election may have gone uncounted, according to findings being released at a Senate hearing Wednesday.

...

The committee, working with the Congressional Research Service, surveyed election offices in seven states with high numbers of military personnel: California, Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and West Virginia.

It said that of 441,000 absentee ballots requested by eligible voters living abroad — mainly active-duty and reserve troops — more than 98,000 were "lost" ballots that were mailed out but never received by election officials. Taking into account 13,500 ballots that were rejected for such reasons as a missing signature or failure to notarize, one-quarter of those requesting a ballot were disenfranchised.

The study found that an additional 11,000 ballots were returned as undeliverable.

...
Among the states surveyed, California had 30,000 "lost" votes out of 103,000 ballots mailed out. An additional 3,000 ballots were returned as undeliverable and 4,000 were rejected.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jcH8aKjkxZ7-e3_IrLumCMtkqv9QD98573FG0

[Vickers]

1. When I was stationed overseas, a lot of guys requested absentee

ballots and then simply never sent them in.

"Aw dude, I forgot to vote!"

Anecdotal, but hey.

[Solly Mack]

2. K&R