SCARBOROUGH DEMANDS INVESTIGATION OF MILITARY ABSENTEE COMPLAINTS
November 8, 2000
Pensacola, FL - Congressman Joe Scarborough (R-Pensacola), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, today called for an investigation of reports that military servicemen and women were not able to vote in Tuesday's election due to delays in receiving absentee ballots.
In a letter today to House Armed Services Chairman Floyd Spence (a copy of which is attached), Mr. Scarborough requested an investigation of reports that many servicemen and women failed to receive absentee ballots even though they requested them.
Several members of the military and their dependents have contacted Mr. Scarborough and others to say that their voice has been silenced and their ability to vote for Governor George W. Bush has been infringed upon. As Mr. Scarborough said in his letter to Chairman Spence: "Men and women in the military have every right to vote on who their next Commander-in-Chief will be; if something was done to inhibit their ability to vote, the public has a right to know."
November 8, 2000
The Honorable Floyd Spence
Chairman
House Committee on Armed Services
2120 Rayburn HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Chairman Spence:
I am writing to ask the committee to investigate numerous reports that our military men and women were unable to vote in Tuesday's election due to delays in receiving absentee ballots. As you know, Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon discussed the matter at length during a briefing yesterday.
I have received several e-mails from military servicemen and women and their dependents this morning complaining that they did not receive absentee ballots they had requested. In fact, I have personally spoken to several of these individuals who claim they followed normal procedures but never received their ballots. In addition, there have been several published reports over the past several days citing reports of problems with military absentee voting.
While I understand the individual servicemen and women must request absentee ballots through their respective election offices, I believe these widespread reports of delivery problems merit an investigation by the committee. Men and women in the military have every right to vote on who their next Commander-in-Chief will be; if something was done to inhibit their ability to vote, the public has a right to know.
Thank you in advance for your consideration of this matter.
Sincerely,
Joe Scarborough Member of Congress |
