None of this comes as a surprise. The ballot process has always been inconsistent despite the best efforts of the Democrats Abroad to help out. (I'm not a fan of the Democrats Abroad but for the elections, they have done a great job in difficult circumstances.) None of us ever are really sure when our ballots will arrive or even if they will arrive. Often when they come in it's a few days before the actual election so you have the option of either sending back via snail mail and wondering if they arrived in time (or at all) or sending via express courier for a small fortune. Even with express mail, I have yet to receive confirmation that anything was ever received. The system as it stands today stinks and now there's an official report that tells me what I already know.
One out of every four ballots requested by military personnel and other Americans living overseas for the 2008 election may have gone uncounted, according to findings being released at a Senate hearing Wednesday.Both of us vote in PA though in different counties. Even within the state the timing varies though at least they are consistent in one way. They both stink. It would be nice to see a democracy like the US deliver actual democracy, but I'm not holding my breath.
Sen. Charles Schumer, chairman of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, said the study, while providing only a snapshot of voting patterns, "is enough to show that the balloting process for service members is clearly in need of an overhaul."
The committee, working with the Congressional Research Service, surveyed election offices in seven states with high numbers of military personnel: California, Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and West Virginia.
