Mail snafus disenfranchise troops (updated)

Two packages correctly addressed to my daughter's Army base in Kandahar were returned to the senders in recent weeks, one with a mark more or less over the "attempted not known" and "no such number/street" boxes. This appears to be an Army snafu rather than the Post Office problems I referenced before (and to be fair, my wife has found a very helpful Post Office branch in Queensbury, NY).

This yet again raises the issue of soldiers being unable to vote, which came up last year in the Scott Murphy-Jim Tedisco vote and in another upstate congressional race. My daughter, who is on her second deployment to Afghanistan and also has served in Italy, writes:

"I actually wrote an email to [Rep.] Scott Murphy about the mail issue -- specifically that this is my third November serving overseas, and I have not once got my ballot in time to make my vote count. ... I got a form email in response. ... I forgot to update my address in time for my primary ballot, but I have submitted a request for an absentee ballot for the general. I doubt it will get to me in time. In Italy, my ballots never got to me in time, though they were always requested. One day I got my ballot on the day it was supposed to be mailed back, which was frustrating."

Update: My daughter's husband also is serving in Kandahar, and she says he "got a package last month from his last tour in Afghanistan. The one where he left the country in July 2008. Did I mention that mail sucks here?"

 

Comments

[Brian]

Again, I think the straight forward solution would be to direct all absentee ballots in foreign countries (from soldiers but also from Peace Corps volunteers, diplomats and other ex-pats) to the US embassy in said country and then once returned to the same, they can be sent back via diplomatic pouch into the US postal system. I think this solution aids ALL Americans living and serving abroad.

When I was in the Peace Corps, I received my absentee ballots via the infamous postal system of the African country I lived in... and I got it in time. So I suspect you are right that it's a US military problem.

[Johannah Turner]

FUBAR! I am disgusted. Brian's solution should be implemented immediately.