[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 148 (Wednesday, September 17, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H8371-H8373]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




EXPRESSING SENSE OF CONGRESS THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND FEDERAL 
   VOTING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM SHOULD ENSURE THAT MEMBERS OF THE ARMED 
FORCES AND THEIR DEPENDENTS ARE PROVIDED WITH INFORMATION ON VOTING IN 
                       THE 2008 GENERAL ELECTIONS

  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 388) expressing 
the sense of Congress that the Department of Defense and the Federal 
Voting Assistance Program should take certain additional and timely 
measures to ensure that members of the Armed Forces and their 
dependents are provided with reasonable information on how to register 
to vote and vote in the 2008 general elections, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 388

       Whereas members of the Armed Forces and their dependents 
     deserve every reasonable opportunity to participate in the 
     electoral process given their daily sacrifices to protect our 
     liberty and freedom;
       Whereas Congress enacted the Uniformed and Overseas 
     Citizens Absentee Voting Act in part to ensure that members 
     of the Armed Forces and their dependents and citizens living 
     overseas are provided with sufficient information, 
     opportunities, and balloting materials to foster their 
     participation in Federal elections;
       Whereas the Election Assistance Commission found that less 
     than 17 percent of the 6 million citizens eligible under the 
     Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act chose to 
     participate in the 2006 general election;

[[Page H8372]]

       Whereas the Election Assistance Commission further found 
     that of the 48,600 Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee 
     Voting Act ballots that were not counted by States and local 
     jurisdictions in the November 2006 elections, 70 percent were 
     not counted due to incorrect or undeliverable addresses;
       Whereas the Election Assistance Commission further found 
     that more than 10 percent of all uncounted military and 
     overseas absentee ballots were rejected because they were 
     received past the required deadline;
       Whereas the Election Assistance Commission further found 
     that more effort needs to be made by the States and the 
     Department of Defense to ensure that members of the Armed 
     Forces and their dependents and citizens living overseas are 
     made fully aware of their voting rights;
       Whereas the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and 
     Readiness and the Federal Voting Assistance Program are 
     required to create and utilize a Federal Post Card 
     Application that allows members of the Armed Forces and their 
     dependents and citizens living overseas to use a single 
     application to register to vote and request an absentee 
     ballot;
       Whereas a survey conducted recently by the Inspector 
     General for the Department of Defense analyzed the 
     effectiveness of the Federal Voting Assistance Program during 
     the 2006 general election, and found that only 40 percent of 
     members of the Armed Forces received voting information from 
     the military and only 33 percent were aware of the Federal 
     Post Card Application;
       Whereas in April 2008 testimony before the Committee on 
     House Administration revealed that the Department of Defense 
     had not provided all members of the Armed Forces and their 
     dependents with post card applications by the January 15, 
     2008, deadline as required by Department policy, and that the 
     Department has yet to comply with this requirement; and
       Whereas many of Department of Defense's outreach efforts, 
     including its Armed Forces Voter Week, are scheduled to occur 
     60 days before the November 2008 election, which may not 
     provide members of the Armed Forces and their dependents or 
     citizens living overseas with sufficient time to complete and 
     return the Federal Post Card Applications: Now, therefore, be 
     it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) it is in the interests of the United States to ensure 
     that the Secretary of Defense and the Federal Voting 
     Assistance Program provide members of the Armed Forces and 
     their dependents and citizens living overseas who are 
     eligible under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee 
     Voting Act with sufficient information regarding 
     opportunities to register to vote and to request an absentee 
     ballot for elections occurring in 2008, including the 
     November 2008 general election;
       (2) the Secretary of Defense and the Federal Voting 
     Assistance Program must, on a monthly basis starting 
     September 22, 2008, and continuing on the first of each month 
     through the November 2008 general election, provide all 
     eligible members of the Armed Forces and their dependents 
     with an electronic reminder of the voter registration and 
     absentee ballot process available under the Uniformed and 
     Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, and, as required by 
     Department policy, provide all members of the Armed Forces 
     and their dependents with an electronic or paper copy of the 
     Federal Post Card Application, along with sufficient 
     instruction on completing and returning the application to 
     the appropriate election official;
       (3) State and local election officials should work with the 
     Federal Voting Assistance Program to develop methods, 
     consistent with privacy and security, for obtaining updated 
     addresses and contact information, if possible, for any 
     member of the Armed Forces or dependent and any citizen 
     living overseas who has been identified by the State or local 
     election official as having an undeliverable ballot address;
       (4) the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and 
     Readiness should report to the Committee on House 
     Administration of the House of Representatives, the Committee 
     on Rules and Administration of the Senate, and the Committees 
     on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and Senate 
     not later than October 15, 2008, on the efforts made by the 
     Department of Defense to--
       (A) educate members of the Armed Forces and citizens living 
     overseas on the process of voter registration and absentee 
     voting in the 2008 general election,
       (B) provide all eligible members of the Armed Forces and 
     their dependents and citizens living overseas with the 
     Federal Post Card Application to register to vote and cast 
     absentee ballots in such election, and
       (C) cooperate effectively with State and local election 
     officials in their efforts to register these individuals and 
     distribute and collect their absentee ballots;
       (5) States must redouble their efforts to make sure that 
     local jurisdictions collect the mandated information for 
     individuals who are eligible under the Uniformed and Overseas 
     Citizens Absentee Voting Act, and should work in partnership 
     with the Federal Government to develop best practices 
     (including the use of electronic means) for encouraging 
     voting participation among members of the Armed Forces and 
     their dependents and citizens living overseas; and
       (6) the Department of Defense, the Federal Voting 
     Assistance Program, the Election Assistance Commission, and 
     State governments should examine recommendations made by the 
     Election Assistance Commission in its September 2007 survey 
     findings regarding the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens 
     Absentee Voting Act.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Davis) and the gentleman from California (Mr. 
McCarthy) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
in the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. DAVIS of California. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I stand with the House leadership in full support of House Concurrent 
Resolution 388. This resolution insists that the government strengthen 
its promise under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting 
Act to assist our military and overseas citizens to vote.
  House Concurrent Resolution 388 would direct the Federal Voting 
Assistance Program to provide military personnel and their dependents 
with electronic reminders about the election process and ensure paper 
and electronic copies of the Federal Post Card Application are 
provided.
  According to a 2006 U.S. Election Assistance Commission Report, 70 
percent of uncounted military and overseas ballots were due to 
incorrect or undeliverable addresses. House Concurrent Resolution 388 
would also direct election offices to work with the Federal Voting 
Assistance Program to update contact information as well as expand 
outreach efforts to military and overseas voters.
  I applaud Mr. Hoyer and Mr. Blunt for their leadership in drafting 
this bipartisan resolution. House Concurrent Resolution 388 reinforces 
the government's commitment to assisting our military and overseas 
voters. I urge all Members to support this legislation.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCARTHY of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H. Con. Res. 388, which would express the sense of Congress that the 
Department of Defense and the Federal Voting Assistance Program should 
take additional measures to ensure that members of the Armed Forces and 
their dependents are provided with reasonable information on voting in 
the 2008 general elections. This bill will also extend information to 
civilians living abroad for the same purpose.
  Mr. Speaker, recent data compiled by the Election Assistance 
Commission found that less than 17 percent of the 6 million citizens 
eligible under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act 
chose to participate in the 2006 general election. Of the 48,600 
Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act ballots that were 
not counted by States and local jurisdictions in the November 2006 
elections, 70 percent were not counted due to incorrect or 
undeliverable addresses. It is simply unacceptable that thousands of 
the brave men and women who fight for our freedom each day were denied 
a voice in the electoral process due to incorrectly filling out a 
ballot.
  In September 2007, the EAC also found that ``the third largest reason 
for rejected ballots was that they were received by election offices 
after the deadline stipulated by State law.''
  I have introduced H.R. 5673, the MVP Act, to ensure that military 
personnel are not left out of the elections process while serving their 
country overseas. Although my bill has been endorsed by the Vets for 
Freedom, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars called it ``an important 
piece of legislation ensuring that the men and women who wear our 
Nation's uniform are not left out of the election process while serving 
in harm's way,'' the MVP Act has not yet been brought before the House 
for consideration. However, I am hopeful that this resolution will 
create awareness of this issue and lead to more comprehensive reform 
that will provide a solution to this problem.
  In addition to meeting ballot deadlines and correctly completing 
absentee ballots, there is also an issue with

[[Page H8373]]

military personnel receiving information from the Federal Voting 
Assistance Program. A survey conducted recently by the Inspector 
General for the Department of Defense analyzed the effectiveness of the 
Federal Voting Assistance Program during the 2006 general election and 
found that only 40 percent of members of the Armed Forces received 
voting information from the military and only 33 percent were aware of 
the Federal Post Card Application.
  We must ensure that the Federal Voting Assistance Program improves 
their communication efforts and promotes the Federal Post Card 
Application and the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot so that our 
service men and women are aware of the resources available to them 
during an election.
  This year, perhaps more than any other year in recent memory, our 
Nation's electorate is excited to cast their ballots for the candidates 
of their choosing. For those serving their country overseas, and for 
civilians living abroad, we must do everything in our power to ensure 
that they have the information necessary to do so.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. DAVIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 388, as 
amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the concurrent resolution, as amended, was 
agreed to.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``Concurrent resolution 
expressing the sense of Congress that the Department of Defense and the 
Federal Voting Assistance Program should take certain additional and 
timely measures to ensure that members of the Armed Forces and their 
dependents and citizens living overseas are provided with reasonable 
information on how to register to vote and vote in the 2008 general 
elections.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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