Oakland County Clerk Ruth Johnson has congratulated the state Senate Committee on Campaign & Election Oversight for voting in favor of several bills aimed at improving voting for Michigan’s military personnel deployed overseas,
“We cleared another hurdle,” said Johnson, who created Operation: Our Troops Count with Macomb County Clerk Carmella Sabaugh and Wayne County Clerk Cathy Garrett.
They took that action after a national report scolded Michigan and 15 other states for failing to provide enough time for overseas military to get their votes home in time to be counted on Election Day, Johnson said.
The problem, she said, largely stems from overseas mailing delays.
“Failing our overseas troops is unacceptable — but we can and are moving forward,” said Johnson, who testified before the committee last week.
Macomb County Clerk Carmella Sabaugh did not testify at the hearing but issued a statement that she and Johnson “believe we need to make sure those fighting for democracy can participate in it. We can do it with existing technology while cutting taxpayer postage costs.”
The package of military voting proposals that now heads to the full Senate includes bills that would allow local clerks to fax or email ballots to troops overseas and would revise election deadlines to streamline the process.
“This is a bipartisan, common sense answer that puts proven technology to work and will save expensive postage while maintaining integrity in the absentee voting process,” said Johnson. “We owe this to our troops serving so courageously on our behalf.”
Of 21,299 absentee ballots requested by Michigan overseas/military voters for the November 2008 election, Johnson said nearly 6,000 were never returned or returned too late to be counted.
“Whenever I talk to civics groups or high school classes, I tell them that their vote matters, their vote makes a difference … and that’s absolutely true — unless you are an American serving overseas,” Johnson said. “These are men and women, away from their families and often risking their lives to protect our freedom.
Johnson said it’s time for Michigan “to step up and make sure their right to vote — a cornerstone of democracy — is protected here at home.”
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