State Sen. Musto: Bill Helps Military Personnel Serving Overseas to Vote

HARTFORD – Just in time for Memorial Day, the Connecticut Senate has unanimously passed a bill that will help guarantee the basic democratic rights of military members serving overseas. State Senator Anthony Musto (D-Trumbull), Co-Chair of the legislative committee that oversees election law, cast his support behind this measure, which will allow overseas servicemen and women to return their ballots by a secure, electronic method such as fax or email. “The right to vote is basic to our freedom and democracy. The men and women who protect that right deserve to fully participate in it. I have heard too many reports of absentee ballots sent from members of the military not arriving and being counted,” said Senator Musto. “It is only fitting that we move to right this wrong in the week preceding Memorial Day.” Senate Bill 647 was born out of recent complaints that some absentee ballots submitted by members of the armed forces never arrive in the United States. Additionally, some of those that do make it back are not successfully returned to Connecticut and are not counted in elections. The bill passed today will charge Connecticut’s Secretary of State to consult with the Military Department and determine a secure and effective way for absentee ballots to be returned by members of the armed forces who are overseas at the time of an election. This same option will be extended to spouses and dependents who are living aboard with overseas military members. Twenty-eight states currently allow military members serving overseas to return their ballots by fax, and twenty of these allow for email submission. Officials in each of these states have confirmed that there has been no voter fraud as a result of their policies. The Secretary of State will submit a report detailing this voting method and any legislative changes needed for its implementation by January 1, 2013 to the General Assembly. Changes to military voting procedures will be made for use in all elections held after September 1, 2014. Now that it has been passed by the Senate, this bill moves on to the House of Representatives for final consideration.