GAO Finds Flawed Military Balloting

U.S. military personnel and Americans living overseas were more than four times as likely to have their ballots thrown out in last fall’s presidential election than were domestic civilian voters, according to a report by congressional investigators released Friday.

The General Accounting Office was asked to look into balloting by 2.7 million military members and their dependents and 3.9 million citizens living overseas after the Florida recount in the election revealed myriad voting problems.

The GAO estimated through a telephone survey of county officials nationwide that 8.1% of military and overseas ballots were thrown out in counties with less than 60,000 residents. Not enough large counties responded to make a national estimate, but investigators found a similar pattern among those that did.

By comparison, about 1.8% of ballots cast by civilians living in the United States were disqualified.

During the Florida recount that led to President Bush’s victory, election officials rejected hundreds of ballots cast by military personnel living overseas, many because they lacked postmarks or signatures.

The GAO recommended that the State Department improve its oversight of its voting assistance program for citizens living overseas. It also recommended that the Defense Department provide more trained voting assistance officers at bases.

The report found some bases did not have enough absentee ballots or a voting assistance officer, as required.

The Defense and State departments agreed with the overall findings of the report and noted they already have taken steps to improve their voting assistance programs.