Feds OK state's waiver request on military ballot deadline

OLYMPIA - Military voters from Washington State will benefit from Friday’s federal approval of the state’s request for a one-time waiver of the 45-day advance ballot mailing requirement under federal law.

OLYMPIA...Military voters from Washington State will benefit from Friday's federal approval of the state's request for a one-time waiver of the 45-day advance ballot mailing requirement under federal law.

The Federal Voting Assistance Program, the Department of Defense and the Department of Justice OK'd Washington's waiver request of a provision under the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act. The waiver request is for the November 2 General Election this year.

The waiver request was on the "45-day rule" in which states are supposed to mail ballots to military and oversea voters at least 45 days before Election Day.

"The approval of our waiver request is very good news for our military voters," State Elections Director Nick Handy said. "This helps ensure that our military voters will receive their ballots in a more timely fashion before the November election. It's very important to make sure our military votes are counted in any election."

Washington's waiver approval is attached here: http://www.sos.wa.gov/_assets/elections/Signed-WA-Waiver-Request-Response-of-27-Aug%2010.pdf .

The state's waiver request is attached here: http://www.sos.wa.gov/_assets/office/WashingtonsWaiverRequest7210.pdf .

"We requested the waiver because the 45-day timeframe under the MOVE Act doesn't comply with our state statutory deadlines for candidate filing, printing ballots, mailing and receiving ballots, or certifying the Primary or General Elections," Handy said.

Handy said FVAP looked at the "totality" of each state's military voting program in deciding whether to grant a waiver request.

"Our state was approved based on the overall great program that Washington's election community provides for military and overseas voters. FVAP was looking to see if states used a comprehensive approach, and it realized that we have a very solid program," Handy said.

"We believe our state's total transit time program of 52 days for the General Election actually allows overseas and military voters more time and more flexibility receiving and returning ballots and is a better program for these voters than states that mail ballots out 45 days in advance but which certify immediately after the election," Handy said, pointing to these factors:

• Washington's overseas voters can actually vote on Election Day and return a timely ballot;

•The state will provide an electronic ballot to all overseas voters that each voter can download from the Internet and mail;

• The State Elections Division has surveyed all of Washington's 60,000 military and overseas voters and requested their preference for email, fax or mail ballot;

• The State Elections Division will fax, email or mail a ballot to any overseas voter according to the voter's preference;

• Overseas voters have 21 days after the election to have their ballot reach its destination;

• The state automatically mails a ballot to every overseas voter as opposed to other states that require a specific request; and

• Washington had a 73 percent return of uniformed and overseas voter ballots in 2008 and over 99 percent of these ballots were counted.

For more information about the federal waiver request, contact Handy at (360) 902-4156 or nick.handy@sos.wa.gov, or Assistant Elections Director Katie Blinn at (360) 902-4168 or katie.blinn@sos.wa.gov.