Easier voting from overseas

A bill that would modify certain procedures and requirements for absentee voting by military and other overseas voters was approved by the House Governmental Operations, Reform, Technology and Elections Committee March 12 and sent to the House floor.

Sponsored by Rep. Jeremy Kalin (DFL-North Branch) and Sen. Sharon Erickson Ropes (DFL-Winona), HF1259/SF1218* would permit the transmission of absentee ballots electronically, in certain circumstances, and would permit the secretary of state to adopt rules to facilitate absentee voting in emergency situations.

The bill is designed to rectify the problem of Minnesota military members and other overseas voters not always having their ballots counted.

“This bill removes significant barriers of bureaucracy and red tape from American citizens overseas being able to exercise their democratic rights,” Kalin said.

In addition to military members, electronic transmission of absentee ballots would be available for civilians who are living outside the country, but are authorized by federal law to vote. Others who have never resided in the United States would be eligible, if they have parents who maintain residence in Minnesota for at least 20 days before their departure from the United States.

“The commander-in-chief has asked our service members to serve as defenders of democracy overseas, and our citizens overseas, in whatever capacity they work or live overseas, are ambassadors of democracy,” Kalin said. “And the core foundation of democracy is the right to vote.”

An amendment, unsuccessfully proposed by Rep. Laura Brod (R-New Prague), would have modified the bill to deal specifically with military voting. She said the governor would not sign the bill in its current form because provisions in the bill were mentioned in the governor’s veto message of a similar bill last year.

“We can’t blame anybody but ourselves if we don’t get the military portions done,” Brod said.

The bill was passed 63-1 by the Senate on April 23, 2007.