Soldiers May Ballots Via E-Mail

Soldiers May Ballots Via E-Mail
Houston Chronicle | January 26, 2008

Overseas voters who serve in the military may be able to get their November ballots via e-mail through a state pilot program aimed at streamlining the absentee ballot process.

While the ballots will be sent through electronic mail, the completed ballots must be returned through the traditional mail system. Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, however, now can submit their votes by fax.

The use of e-mail and fax machines should make the election process more efficient and "ensure that our service men and women have access to exercising the very right that they're over there defending," said Ashley Burton, a spokeswoman for Secretary of State's Office.

The Harris County County Clerk's Office is expected to ask the secretary of state to be included in the program, which should start up this summer, a spokesman said.

Voting participation among service members was 79 percent in 2004, compared with 64 percent for the general public, according to the Federal Voting Assistance Program. The military vote was viewed as a key element to victory in many competitive states that year.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,160821,00.html