Blogging with AFRW

My staff and I composed legislation to allow our military and overseas citizens the right to vote electronically via the internet in the November 2008 elections.  This bill can be viewed at www.sos.alabama.gov. 

The good news is that it has passed the Senate Com. unanimously and has 47 (almost half) of the House signed on as co-sponsors, and has received bipartisan support and endorsements from Governor Riley, Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom, Senate Pro Tem Mitchem, Adjuntant Gen. Mark Bowen and the state Veterans of Foreign Wars.  

The bad news is that though all of us held a well attended press conference last week, the story did not make it into the press so few people know about it and there are a couple of very vocal people who want to substitute and/or kill the bill-it would appear-to create their own legislation and get the credit for it’s passage.  

I could care less about who gets the credit for anything or I wouldn’t be in politics.  I care about getting the job done and giving our military men and women in uniform who fight for our right to vote the right to cast their own vote.  This bill make it too far to be killed and have someone else introduce it.  Time is running out on this legislative session and this legislation is crucial to fulfill that goal.  

Please call 334-242-7600 and ask for Speaker Hammett’s office.  You can also email him at Seth.Hammett@alhouse.org.  Tell them you are calling in support of House Bill 800 re: military voting and that you would like to see it passed.  The Speaker is supportive of the bill, but it is imperative that he hear from you, as there are key members of the House who are being pulled in another direction.  When you call, please be respectful and kind, but determined in your support of this bill.  

Your call and/or email (both perferably) could make or break this legislation which would allow our military to be able to vote at home while serving abroad.  The way the law reads down disenfranchises our military and overseas voters due to lack of adequate time to snail mail absentee ballots back and forth.  

Let’s keep the grassroots growing!  Please do this today and encourage others to do the same.  Feel free to share this info with your family and friends.  We need all the help we can get!

Sincerely,  Beth Chapman, Alabama Secretary of State