The State Senate approved Senate Bill 718 Monday to make voting easier for military personnel who are not registered to vote and return from overseas service after the registration deadline. The House is the next stop for the measure by Sen. Don Barrington.
“Oklahoma was recently criticized by the Pew Center on the States for not providing our returning military enough time to vote. This measure will give more of our military the chance to let their voice be heard in the election process by extending the time in which they can return home and still be able to cast a provisional ballot without being registered,” said Barrington
Currently, military personnel who are not registered to vote and return home less than 25 days before an election, which is the voter registration deadline, are allowed to cast a provisional ballot. SB 718 extends the grace period for those individuals to ninety days. Therefore, any military personnel who return home within ninety days of an election will be allowed to cast a provisional ballot, without being registered to vote prior to the deadline.
“For men and women who have been deployed overseas, the last thing on their mind when they return is whether or not they’re registered to vote. It’s something that can easily slip one’s mind until right up to the election,” said Barrington. “Their main concern is spending time with family and friends, resting and getting acclimated back to life in the states. Returning home from war zones can be hard for some and we don’t want to punish any of these brave souls for accidentally forgetting to register to vote when they’ve just returned from doing such a tremendous and selfless service for their country.”
The bill would apply to any service member and their spouse who has been honorably discharged, is on official leave, or whose service or overseas employment has been terminated.
Military personnel returning from overseas service would have an easier time voting under legislation approved unanimously Monday by the Senate Rules Committee. SB 718, authored by Sen. Don Barrington, would allow those who return up to three months before an election to still be able to vote even without being registered.
“We should do all we can to make it easier for our military men and women to be able to vote when they return home,” said Barrington, R-Lawton. “Voting is our greatest freedom; and they above all should have the right to participate in the process given it’s what many of them are fighting to give people in Iraq and other countries.”
Barrington said the legislation stemmed from a recent report by the Pew Center on the States that criticized Oklahoma for not providing enough time to vote for our military personnel serving overseas.
Barrington explained that currently, military personnel who are not registered to vote and return home after the voter registration deadline, which is 25 days before an election, are allowed to cast a provisional ballot. His bill extends the grace period for returning military personnel to ninety days. Therefore, any military personnel who return home within ninety days of an election will be allowed to cast a provisional ballot, without being registered to vote prior to the deadline.
“When our soldiers return from overseas, the last thing on their mind is registering to vote. Many of them haven’t seen their families and friends anywhere from six months to a year, and maybe more,” said Barrington. “They have so many things to get in order when they return and we don’t want to punish them because they happen to forget to register to vote in time. This will give them a little leeway, and let them still participate in one of their greatest freedoms as an American.”
The bill would apply to any service member and their spouse who has been honorably discharged, is on officially authorized leave, or whose service or overseas employment has been terminated.
SB 718 will next be heard by the full Senate.
The State Senate approved Senate Bill 718 Monday to make voting easier for military personnel who are not registered to vote and return from overseas service after the registration deadline. The House is the next stop for the measure by Sen. Don Barrington.
