Military Ballots May Not Count in Illinois
- Posted on October 14, 2010 at 12:17am by
Meredith Jessup
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The U.S. Department of Justice has reportedly opened an investigation into how the Democratic Secretary of State for Illinois somehow forgot to send out thousands of absentee ballots to military personnel serving overseas.
The Overseas Voter Empowerment Act (MOVE) specifically stipulates that every state must mail their absentee ballots to troops, government workers and other Americans living abroad 45 days prior to the election. However, Illinois‘ State Board of Elections is reporting that some of the state’s voting jurisdictions have failed to meet the federally imposed deadline. As a result, the ballots may not be counted.
Illinois was required to have all of its absentee ballots mailed by Sept. 18, the national deadline. Election officials have until Nov. 15 to count the absentee ballots, which must be postmarked by midnight Nov. 1 to be eligible.
In an e-mail response, Justice Department spokeswoman Xochil Hinojosa confirmed that Illinois is being investigated for the absentee ballot infraction.
“The Department is working with all states, including Illinois, to investigate and remedy any problems that will prevent our men and women serving overseas from having the opportunity to vote and have their votes counted,” Hinojosa said. …
These overseas ballots may prove to be critical in deciding winners in this year’s close elections. Recent polls show tight races for the U.S. Senate (Republican Mark Kirk vs. Democrat Alexi Giannoulias), and governor (Republican Bill Brady vs. Democratic incumbent Pat Quinn).
The Justice Department has also taken recent action against the state of New York over a similar case of delinquent absentee ballots for overseas Americans:
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Comments (91)
pamela kay
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 3:30amwho more has the right to vote than our brave men and women in our military? This is absolutely ridiculous. Who ever is responsible for this should be sent to Iraq and Afhganistan on the front lines to personally get the ballots to our soldiers. It is unacceptable and a disgrace for any one in office. The person should loose his position and expect future lawsuits.
Report Post »Nancy in VA
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 2:26pmI agree, send the suits to the front line to deliver the ballots to our brave men and women. This is a disgrace to our republic and constitutional right to vote.
Report Post »pamela kay
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 2:59amWho better has the right to vote than our own military? For this there is absolutely no excuse! Who ever is responsible for this should be sent personally to make sure that votes are counted. How might they like spending some time on the battle-field front line?
Report Post »stingerhp
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 2:33amForgot ?? Termination should be in order immediateluy… Oh, I forgot, tar and feather is in order as well….
Report Post »...............R..U..Kidding...Me
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 2:20amCalled the proportional principle:
Report Post »The U.S. Constitution, 14 Amendment, section 2: …..representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, (I think this would include absetee voters) counting the whold number of persons in each State. …. If the right to vote is denied (maybe by not sending out absentee ballots) to any …inhabitants of such State…..and is in any way abridged, …. the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such …..citizens (non-voters) in such state.
Example: If a state stops 300,000 voters (overseas absentees), then they lose representation for 300,000 voters. This could reduce their number of sets in Congress. This might take away a seat or two.
StMichelob
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 2:38amVery good damn job! Of course, the DOJ with dismiss that part of the “living document”….they didn’t REALLY mean that part anyway, and it was SO long ago when they wrote it…”I mean, come on!”
Report Post »-Jimmy, “South Park”
RobertCA
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 2:09amDirty Politicians @ their best tricks “ We forgot ”
Well … WE THE PEOPLE won’t forget your dirty tricks in NOV .
Robert .
Report Post »jamn2dblues
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 2:09amguess this is becaue of the tea party too. REDICULOUS – THERE VOTE SHOULD BE COUNTED FIRST. WHAT THAT HECK IS HAPPENING TO THIS COUNTRY.
Report Post »calebgs83
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 1:57amOutrageous. He is denying soldiers with their lives on the line their constitutional right to vote…all of us should continue to follow this case and make sure he receives justice…PRISON.
Report Post »angrymob
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 6:09amThis is wrong. They want to deny our soldiers the right to vote yet dead people get to vote in elections?
Report Post »walkwithme1966
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 6:22amThis is a close Senate race also – latest poles shows tie for Obama’s old seat. http://wp.me/pYLB7-dX
Report Post »Sunnyr
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 1:50amThis is so disgusting. New York and now Illinois? There is NO EXCUSE for not getting these ballots out and back again and COUNTED in the election. This crap happens every election year and it has to stop. There should be heavy FINES involved for any state that screws with Military Ballots. I hope the Republicans will pass a LAW, once and for all, making this issue a top priority. DemocRATS do it every single election year! How can these creeps justify this kind of vote tampering? Dirtbags!
Report Post »richauthor
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 1:46amHow long is it going to take before the American people finally realize that the Democrat Party will do ANYTHING to win an election… including letting dead people, convicted felons, and illegal immigrants vote? By my recollection this is about the fourth or fifth general election in which American service men and women have been SCREWED out of their votes. Every one of the election boards responsible for this are Democrat controlled and this specific tactic has been planned ever since the Chicago thugocrasy came to power. What a sickening anti-American group of slugs they all are!
Report Post »IPFH
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 1:39amI am almost embarrassed to admit I was born in Chicago, I used to think it was a great place but now all I feel is greatful that I live somewhere else, Thanks to all the overpaid government crepes who are ruining my home town, now I don’t even want to visit.. Ya know with so many people out of work right now, it would be wonderful to give them the jobs these twerps seem to take for granted every day!!!!!
Report Post »HEARDENOUGHCRAP
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 1:14amHere in the Great Northwet, there was an election a couple of years ago, where it was PROVEN that hundreds of military votes were late getting there and back and they DID NOT count, however, it was also PROVEN that hundreds of fellons and dead people voted, and they DID count. The count stood even after it was proven because it was “recorded”. A call went out to “UN-record it”, but apparently after it is recorded, it’s a done deal. So, we were stuck with a govenor who has never seen a penny of SOMEONE ELSE‘S money she doesn’t COVET.
Report Post »joseph Fawcett
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 1:13amI have said a number of times you can’t trust anyone in IL, or NY Dem or Rep. It is shameful what they do and get away with. Never mind what they do get caught doing and ending up having to do jail time for.
http://www.josephfawcettart.com western artist
Report Post »Bob_R_OathKeeper
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 1:08amThis is disgusting and it keeps getting worse, I pray we don’t have another Revolution but at the rate we are going, it seems almost inevitable, history is truly repeating itself. Semper Fi.
Report Post »libertyordeath87
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 7:01amA revolution is coming like a train rolling downhill. It can be put off but it can’t be stopped. The sooner it gets started the faster it will get done. There’s a saying that goes, “sometimes you just need to go ahead and break the leg so the healing will begin.” That’s where we are now in this country. We know what needs to be done, and no matter how painful or hard it is going to be, we need to just get started so we can get it over with.
Report Post »WISEPENNY
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 12:51amThat‘s Illinois’ faux pas, not the service personnel’s fault. I don’t care what idiot is at fault, those votes absolutely need to be counted, no exceptions! Intentional amnesia is no excuse to disenfranchise the men and women fighting for our freedom. The elections need to take place stateside, regardless, then a supervised certified count be conducted of the Illinois ballots and an affidavit of the outcome be documented and the results forwarded to expedite the results of the final tally on an “unofficial result” to be determined temporarily until the actual tangible ballots can be hand delivered stateside to the Supervisor of elections for State of Illinois to verify the count. Every one’s vote must count, without exception! The people that shirked their responsibilities to get those ballots to the brave soldiers are either derelict in their duties or purposely trying to sabatoge the election in Illinois. Either case should be a criminal offence with jail time manditory. More Banana Rebublic tactics, obviously.
Report Post »Ozzie
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 12:50amA great way to say thanks to our troops who are fighting and dying for our freedoms….I hope Democrats are ashamed of this dirty tactic.
Report Post »StMichelob
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 2:30am“I hope Democrats are ashamed of this dirty tactic.”
Report Post »….seriously?
Just laughed so hard i pissed myself…
kiwi1
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 12:43amYes, we will wait as long as it takes for all of the military ballots to be received and counted. If anyone should get to vote it is the person putting their life on the line to protect this country and our freedom.
Report Post »Rogue
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 1:51amNo hope this will get corrected in time for votes to be counted, seeing as how the DOJ is investigating. I’m sure Eric Holder owes plenty of favors to politicians in, or from, Illinois. Expect no report from the DOJ until well after Nov 2.
These states need to send those very same officials that “forgot” the ballots to Afghanistan. Let these suits hand deliver ballots to our men and women fighting in combat. They obviously have no respect for this nation’s heroes, so I think it’s time they gain a little persective.
God Bless our Troops!
Report Post »StMichelob
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 2:28amRogue, now THAT is an excellent idea!
Report Post »I like Ike
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 12:41amIf any count I bet they are from Cook county! If your address is south of rt80 forget it!
Report Post »EaglesPearlsOfWisdom
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 12:41amIf anyone ever deserved to vote and have it counted, it’s those proud men and women who fight and die to secure our right to vote and be counted. It isn’t the first time this has happened, every election you hear the same thing, how disgusting is that.
Report Post »angrymob
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 1:34amDidn’t Dems cry foul when they thought Bush “stole” the election? Didn’t they chant “every voice counts”
Why not count our troops? After all, they put their lives on the line daily for us to have the right to vote. You are right, this is disgraceful!
They’ve got some explaining to do!
Report Post »LUDWIKA BRONISLAWA
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 2:36amFunny thing about Florida, they tried to suppress the military vote then too.
Report Post »Hope42morrow
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 12:39amJust Great! Wouldn’t you just love to hear our fascinating Senator Durbin on this one? Too early to blame Rahm? Oops. He still has to prove residency!
Report Post »I like Ike
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 1:05amNo the less I hear from him the better! Durban has to go!
Report Post »w4jle
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 12:34amWhy, if your a democratic, would you want people with honor and patriotism to vote?
Report Post »4areason
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 12:28amFigure it out Illinois, anyone who is putting their life on the line everyday for this country gets to vote. If we have to wait to count them then so be it!
Report Post »NoName22
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 12:36amRod Blagojevich, Rahm Emanuel, Barack Hussein Obama…….
Chicago, Chicago, Chicago…….
There are multiple ways to do this………….Secretary of state should be fired. The soldiers should be sent home and not have to risk their lives if they do not get their say……Postpone the Illinois vote tally, although that’s a problem for two reasons:
Report Post »1. It makes Nov. 2 no longer the stated date for any hope of replacing those in power.
2. As an advocate of states rights, if the state cannot be trusted to send the ballots, how can it be trusted to properly remedy, receive, and count the votes? I certainly can’t trust the Fed gov. to do this.
Huckabee Gingrich 12
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 12:42amI think Illinois HAS figured it out. If you can‘t beat ’em, eliminate ‘em.
Report Post »StMichelob
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 2:25am“That’s the Chicago way”
Report Post »-Sean Connery, “The Untouchables”
My grampa, who had a black angus ranch, always told me, “Boy, You (eff) with the bull, you get the horns”
As a former Marine, lemme tell ya. These boys don’t get their ballots, it‘ll be like playing tetherball with a hornet’s nest. Just ask the jackass crew what THAT’ll bring ya.
4mcbjCtr
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 12:27amI love how the DOJ can sue the states. What good does that do for us military families living overseas, that don’t get our votes counted?! Shame on you NY and Illinois and everyone else that tries to get away with this. Talk about “hijacking the election” and suppressing the vote!!!
Report Post »TruthTalker
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 12:27amLet me guess, Democratically driven. erm again…..
Report Post »snowleopard3200
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 12:26amHow conveinent they the democrats, just “forgot” to send out the ballots to the troops overseas. Wonder why? Gasp! Could it be that the majority of the soldiers over seas may actually want to vote for someone different than the entrenched congressmen and represenatives in their state?
Why are they denied the right to vote while performing a volunteer duty in a foreign land?
This is discrimination in its most basic and blatant form!
http://www.artinphoenix.com/gallery/grimm (mixed art)
Report Post »IPFH
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 1:32amARRGH!***** can’t we just fire all these crooked politicians and government peopl;e and hire some decent, honest, humble men/women to take their jobs….(I’m sure we can find thousands of them if anyone looked, they would be the ones with real jobs, and real lives working hard every day) I know I would get fired if I failed at my job, and most government employees do so miserably!!!!!!!!!! What ever happened to work ethics??????
Report Post »M31Sailor
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 10:16amIf any of the military are black is this a racially based crime?
Report Post »Sailor
Justthefactsmam
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 12:24amSo they’ve changed tactics…instead of registering Mickey Mouse and Goofy, just don’t let them vote at all…
Report Post »snowleopard3200
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 12:31amOnce again we see the extent of fraud and abuse of the law that the Progressives will go to just to make sure they can rig the elections in their directions. Isnt it conveinent that the justice department that let a voter abuse case of the black panthers go away on the Presidents orders is now in the investigation of vote ballots not being sent to the armed forces members overseas?
Is it just me, or does the aura of hypocracy seem to be growing ever larger with each passing minute from these officials of the White House.
http://www.artinphoenix.com/gallery/grimm (mixed art)
Report Post »solaveritas
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 12:40amBut this may likely backfire on the Democrats.
The ballots will go out, late. The soldiers will know what the Dems tried to do, and more will mark their ballots for Republicans.
If the voting results are close, lawsuits will be filed and a court will make sure the votes are counted in the totals. A court will not enforce the vote counting deadline, because the state violated the ballot mailing deadline.
The Dems are gambling unwisely these days (insulting their supporters for being uninspired, accusing the Chamber of Commerce of a crime, insulting Americans by saying one-half the Republicans need psychiatric therapy, and, of course, screwing around with absentee ballots).
Report Post »Loyal1
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 1:01amNo, on the contrary it’s more of the same – Sustein – take them out of the equation. They are just doing it out in the open now.
Report Post »LUDWIKA BRONISLAWA
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 2:01amNo, they first told states that, ehhhhh, you don’t REALLY have to get the absentee ballots out if you think it might be too hard for you. Am I the only one who saw through that set-up? Now, just as you see, the DOJ can act with righteous indignation and promptly investigate these violaters of the law! More excuses and others to blame. The new people in Washington better watch out for more of these kind of tactics. Fortunately, we will ALL be paying attention now.
Report Post »chernor alpha yayah bundu
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 2:10amallah helps us now the dems are tring to do this to our brave men and women only the dems can do such a thing but the good guys will win in the end amin
Report Post »...............R..U..Kidding...Me
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 2:23amWonder if Ill knows about what the Constitution calls the proportional principle:
Report Post »The U.S. Constitution, 14 Amendment, section 2: …..representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, (I think this would include absetee voters) counting the whold number of persons in each State. …. If the right to vote is denied (maybe by not sending out absentee ballots) to any …inhabitants of such State…..and is in any way abridged, …. the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such …..citizens (non-voters) in such state.
Example: If a state stops 300,000 voters (overseas absentees), then they lose representation for 300,000 voters. This could reduce their number of sets in Congress. This might take away a seat or two
southerncross
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 4:59amits probably about time for the military to be viewd as the 52nd state, and give them their own senator and state legislature. If these men and women who fight to protect the constitution, are continuously overlooked or misrepresented, then, they need their own representation, rather than continued reliance on representatives who couldn’t care lesss if they vote or not, and in most instances, remove any possibility of their votes being counted at all. Give them a voice, and a star…….otherwise, they might well just stop fighting for the constitution, and instead, begin to fight for themselves. That might not work so well, when military coups are considered.
Report Post »Polwatcher
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 5:23amThere needs to be real punishment here. I hope it happens on Nov. 2
Report Post »thesixfour
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 6:49amThis might be the most pathetic thing that this Administration has done. They have made a mockery of what public service is, in their own actions and their lack of respect for our friends, sons, daughters, family, and fellow countrymen that sacrifice themselves everyday for the protection of our well being. And I bet they are doing the best they can on a SHOESTRING.
Those kids are dying over there – and this is what they get for their service to this phantom-government? Its a travesty.
I pray the Military safety – peace – and quick return… and may justice be served to these lazy incompetent people who are sitting in government offices of ‘power’ right now.
Report Post »Independent Tess
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 7:32amThey could get those ballots out there if they wanted to. But the military voter tends to be more conservative, so…………….
Report Post »Independent Tess
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 7:40amR U Kidding Me has a brilliant idea!!.
Report Post »You better believe those states would get those ballots to the military if they thought they were going to lose some seats!
grandmaof5
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 8:15amAnyone who knew that those ballots should have been sent out, and didn‘t speak up when they weren’t, should be fired immediately for not reporting it. The ballots should be sent out, with a return paid envelope, express mail at the personal expense (use her pension fund – I’m sure it has been stacked) of the Secretary and the vote should not be valid until all votes are received. Jail time should be involved if found to be negligent. It is time for this insanity to end!
Report Post »Polwatcher
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 9:16amIllinois must have run out of voting dead people and now must restrict voting for certain groups..
Report Post »drbage
Posted on October 14, 2010 at 10:30amDoes it really surprise anyone that this happened in Corruptinois? Since ACORN is supposedly out of business (not really, still in the process of transforming/morphing), this is the new way to stifle the vote since they know that the military would NOT vote the right way. Gee, this also happened in Delaware, New York and New Mexico. They were a bit more brazen in Houston, where they incinerated the voting roles and the machines. Will the military stand up and demand their consitutional right to cast a ballot? Will the DOI(njustice) really follow through with this or will they pull a Black Panther and try to make it disappear?
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