Can Wounded Soldiers Vote? No, Maybe, Well OK
Veterans Administration Bars Voter Registration Drives for Wounded Soldiers
On April 25, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued Directive 2008-023, “Voting Assistance for VA Patients,” allowing voter registration drives in VA hospitals, only to reverse itself on May 5 with Directive 2008-025. Without registration drives, it appears that each veteran will have to request support individually, placing the burden on veterans who are staying in hospitals, long-term care facilities, or nursing homes. Litigation on the issue is pending.
VA Has Opposed Voter Registration Drives for Months
The VA’s latest rejection of voter registration drives follows months of determined opposition by the VA in response to calls for the agency to help veterans vote. Kerry and Feinstein had earlier requested that the VA be designated a “voter registration agency” under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) — also known as the “Motor Voter Act.” The Act requires states to offer voter registration opportunities at all offices that provide public assistance, services to the disabled, and motor vehicle registration services.
VA Retreats on Voter Registration Efforts for Wounded Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs has retreated on a recently announced policy to allow voter registration drives at its facilities where veterans’ groups and others would assist wounded former soldiers to participate in the 2008 presidential election.
“It is VHA (Veterans Health Administration) policy to assist patients who seek to exercise their right to register and vote; however, due to Hatch Act (Title 5 United States Code (U.S.C.) 7321-7326) requirements and to avoid disruptions to facility operations, voter registration drives are not permitted,” the new policy directive by Michael J. Kussman, Under Secretary for Health said.
The Hatch Act restricts political activities by federal employees.
The VA directive rolls back a new policy announced in late April where the agency agreed, after mounting public and political pressure, to assist wounded veterans with registering to vote and voting for federal elections. While the VA still says it will help former soldiers on an as-requested basis with registration and voting, curtailing voter registration drives brought swift condemnation from Capitol Hill and advocacy groups.
“We believe that the earlier directive better addressed the need for a consistent voter registration policy for our veterans,” Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and John Kerry (D-MA) said in a May 6 letter to VA Secretary James B. Peake. “While the changes made in the new directive seem small, the impact is large. It appears to us that the Department took one step forward for our veterans and the right to vote by directing that assistance be provided with voter registration and with securing absentee ballots, but then took a large step back by prohibiting voter registration drives.”
The Senators questioned the Hatch Act claims, saying the “Office of Special Counsel has made it clear that federal employees, even those who are considered to be in sensitive positions, may “assist in voter registration drives.”" And they questioned how voter registration drives would disrupt VA activities.
The history of neglecting veteran needs is made even worse by the “Hatch Act” debate. The process of using soldiers up, then sweeping them under a rug is disgusting. Soldiers are NOT the group you want to disenfranchise. They have seen how this government REALLY works. They have seen the reality of war, blood and horror. They have learned what is really important and is really trivia. Veterans and wounded veterans are the most informed of us all in this 2008 election. I applaud the efforts of Feinstein and Kerry for the work they have done to return America to Americans.
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