When Rep. Mike Dovilla was deployed to Iraq in 2007, he wanted to cast a vote in that years municipal elections.While on leave, he sent in his application to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, and when the Navy veteran returned to Baghdad, he was told he had not provided some necessary information.
“The problem was there was incorrect information on the county’s web site at that time that didn’t specify the need to include those items,” said the Berea Republican. “As a result, by the time the additional correspondence went back and forth from the theater, the ballot didn’t arrive on time. In fact, I never received a ballot at all.”Since that time, I vowed that if I were ever in a position to be able to prevent this from happening to others in military service I would do so.” Dovilla joined Rep. Michael Stinziano, D-Columbus, today in introducing a bill designed to improve access to voting for members of Ohio’s military serving overseas and other overseas voters.
The bill, which would make Ohio law more accurately reflect recommendations made by the Federal Voting Assistance Program, would:
Permit an overseas voter to apply for an absentee ballot via email or other online delivery.
Require a board of elections to accept and process federal write-in absentee ballots for all elections, ballot questions and issues.
Establish an emergency process for overseas voters if a situation arises that makes substantial compliance with federal absent voting law impossible.
Permit an overseas voter to register to vote simultaneously with the submission of the absentee ballot.
Full Article: Bill aims to help military voters | The Columbus Dispatch.