Carpino Fights for Military Ballot Access

HARTFORD, CT – State Rep. Christie Carpino (Cromwell and Portland) today joined the rest of the House of Representatives in supporting reforms to Connecticut’s military voting policies and assurances that serviceman get to vote and have it counted.

The legislation that would enable military servicemen and servicewomen serving overseas to return their ballots by electronic mail or facsimile.

According to the Connecticut Secretary of the State’s office, around 40 percent of absentee ballots transmitted to members of the military overseas are not returned. Some of the ballots do not reach the service members, and when they do reach them, many are not successfully returned to Connecticut to be counted in elections.

This bill aims to remedy this overseas ballot issue by allowing for easier and more secure methods of return for these ballots.

“Our servicemen and servicewomen deserve to have their votes count, especially since they put their lives on the line for each and every one of us back home,” said Carpino. “It is unacceptable to have 40 percent of our military’s vote not returned.”

Currently, 28 states currently allow for these ballots to be returned via fax, and 20 of these allow for e-mail submission. Officials in these states have confirmed that there have been no incidents of voter fraud as a result of this policy. Election officials from Rhode Island, where they allow for ballot return via fax, attended the press conference and attested to the absence of such fraud in their state