Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2009.01.22 - 9771Miscellaneous Resolution # 09016 BY: Commissioner Shelley G. Taub, District #16 RE: Board of Commissioners — Support for Legislation to Give Overseas Military Personnel Enough Time to Vote and Be Counted TO: Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen: WHEREAS one-third of all U.S. states do not provide enough time to vote for military personnel stationed overseas and as many as half of all states need to improve their absentee voting process to ensure that the votes of servicemen and women abroad will be counted, according to a report from the Pew Center on the States, entitled "No Time to 'Vote: Challenges Facing America's Overseas Military Voters," the first-ever detailed public analysis of states' voting systems for military personnel stationed overseas; and WHEREAS the study further found that the State of Michigan is one of 16 states that does not provide enough time to vote for military personnel stationed overseas, because these states send out absentee ballots after the date necessary for military voters to meet all required deadlines; and WHEREAS although the State of Michigan allows overseas military voters to fax in their ballot requests, the state requires that the ballots be transmitted to and from voters by postal mail; and WHEREAS because the time needed for ballots to travel by mail takes longer than the time Michigan provides in its process, Michigan's military voters abroad need an additional 13 days to have sufficient time to vote; and WHEREAS in order to ensure that overseas voters have enough time to vote and have their votes counted, States can send them blank ballots by fax, email, or other electronic means (such as through a website); and WHEREAS the State of Michigan could also implement a change wherein blank ballots are sent to voters earlier in the process and extending the deadline by which completed ballots must be received in order to be counted or a combination of these two steps that will add at least 13 days to the process. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED the Oakland County Board of Commissioners supports the brave men and women, who are stationed overseas to defend our country and to preserve freedom in foreign lands, and providing them with every opportunity to exercise their basic democratic right to vote. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners hereby urges the Michigan State Legislature to better guarantee the voting rights of military personnel stationed overseas by implementing revisions that would allow sending absentee ballots out to those abroad earlier than the current date of September 2e. t&fp, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners hereby urges the Michigan State Legislature adopt legislation that will allow state election officials to make blank ballots available by email, fax or other electronic means rather than exclusively through the regular mail. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners hereby urges the Michigan State Legislature adopt legislation that provides for a secure environment that protects the secrecy of the ballot, yet allows for the completed ballots of military personnel who are stationed overseas to be returned in time to be counted. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners hereby urges the Michigan State Legislature adopt legislation that requires military/overseas ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted for at least a week following Election Day, with the appropriate procedures to ensure ballot security. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Board of Commissioners encourages local clerks and election officials to implement plans to "Make Military Votes Count" by adding provisions to allow families of military personnel to update their current mailing address electronically and raise awareness of the Federal Write-in Ballot option as a failsafe opportunity to get votes in on time in order to be counted. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Oakland County Clerk is requested to forward copies of this adopted resolution to Michigan Secretary of State Terry Lynn Land, the Oakland County delegation to the Michigan Legislature, Oakland County Clerk Ruth Johnson, the Clerks representing Oakland County's cities, villages and townships and the Michigan Association of Counties. Chairperson, we move the adoption of the foregoing Resolution. re. Commissicfrier Shelley G. Taub trict #16 Commissioner • deli Co ,missit er Dis . - <--/7 Comn)isoner Distridtfi Commissioner Oistrict# 'Commissioner District# Commission District # d'w"? uommission Di Ct #3 jiti ALIP LL.(44 6 1 Commissioner District # Commissioner District# Commissioner District # Commissioner District # Commissioner District # missioner istrict Distri Comm issio District - iissioner tT1 /2 Commissioner District # .//+/ ii 7:4.7724,11/9-- et-mmission& District)y( Commissioner Disifict# oner Commissioner District # Co missioner District#,.S. Commissioner District # Commissioner District # Commissioner District # Resolution #09016 January 22, 2009 The Chairperson referred the resolution to the Public Services Committee. There were no objections.