-NEWSCHANEL 8 SCRIPT- 

Anchor:

WE'VE BEEN TELLING YOU THIS WEEK ABOUT PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED BY MILITARY PEOPLE WHEN THEY TRY TO VOTE. THE SECOND INSTALLMENT OF OUR REPORT ON HOW HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS MAY BE KEPT FROM HAVING THEIR SAY AT THE POLLS. FEDERAL NEWS TODAY'S CHAS HENRY INVESTIGATES.

Story:

THEY'RE SERVING IN FEDERAL FORCES, UNDER ORDERS OF A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, BUT -- IN THE END -- IT'S REALLY STATES AND COUNTIES THAT MAKE IT EASY OR DIFFICULT FOR OVERSEAS SERVICE MEMBERS TO VOTE. AND MOST OFTEN, IT'S NOT EASY.

Samuel Wright, Military Voting Advocate: "There are seven thousand, eight hundred and thirty eight local election offices in the United States. I counted 'em."

Brenda Farrell, Government Accountability Office: "When you think of all the states and all the territories having different rules, for something that seems common, the right to vote, it is a little overwhelming."

WHEN SERVICE MEMBERS ARE TOLD THEY CAN USE COMMON FORMS, LIKE THIS FEDERAL BALLOT REQUEST, EACH STATE HAS SEPARATE RULES ON HOW IT HAS TO BE FILLED OUT. DON'T DO IT EXACTLY THE WAY YOUR STATE WANTS IT, AND IT WILL BE TOSSED ASIDE.

Rosemary Rodriguez, Chair, Election Assistance Commission: "The state requirements are very nuanced and very complicated."

ABOUT A DOZEN STATES WILL E-MAIL OR FAX BALLOTS TO VOTERS THIS YEAR. THEY'LL STILL HAVE TO RETURN THEM BY MAIL. BUT FOR MOST, IT'S STILL A SLOW PROCESS OF BACK AND FORTH MAILING OF REGISTRATION FORMS, BALLOT REQUESTS AND THEN BALLOTS.

Rosemary Rodriguez, Chair, Election Assistance Commission: "One of the states cannot accept ballots that are sent, returned by federal express. It has to be the u-s mail. What kind of law is that? I mean, how does that facilitate participation by the military voter?"

FOR TWENTY-SOME YEARS, THE FEDERAL VOTING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM HAS WORKED TO HELP OVERSEAS VOTERS. RUN BY THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT, THE AGENCY'S STAFF OF ABOUT FOURTEEN OR FIFTEEN COORDINATES A NETWORK OF VOLUNTEERS. BUT THEY WIELD FEW CARROTS OR STICKS WHEN IT COMES TO DEALING WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY CONDUCT ELECTIONS.

Bob Carey, Overseas Vote Foundation: "They've been given all the responsibility for making this process uniform, and none of the authority."

THERE'VE BEEN QUESTIONS, TOO, ABOUT THE PROGRAM'S JUDGING VOTING FIGURES BY ASKING A SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHETHER THEY REQUESTED OR MAILED OFF BALLOTS -- NOT FINDING OUT IF THEY WERE ACTUALLY COUNTED. THEN THERE'S THE PROGRAM'S EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS.

Bob Carey, Overseas Vote Foundation: "This is a pretty confusing web site if you're a new voter, as to how to actually go on and vote."

Bob Carey, Overseas Vote Foundation: "I go, and I get the actual law. A nineteen year old sailor or soldier or marine is going to be forced to read the actual law to determine if he or she can vote?

Bob Carey, Overseas Vote Foundation: "...and now he's given six pages of forms."

Bob Carey, Overseas Vote Foundation: "It says go to block four A, print the complete address, but you can't even tell where block A is, because the number's too small on the form."

THE NON-PROFIT OVERSEAS VOTE FOUNDATION, CREATED IN THE WAKE OF THE TWO THOUSAND FOUR ELECTION, HAS PUT TOGETHER SOMETHING MUCH EASIER. IMAGINE SOFTWARE LIKE TURBO-TAX, EXCEPT FOR OVERSEAS VOTERS.

Bob Carey, Overseas Vote Foundation: "What this site does, is that it fills out the form for you."

Bob Carey, Overseas Vote Foundation: "Now it's not asking me whether I can vote, it's not sending me to any forms I have to fill out, it's just asking me another question."

THE OVERSEAS VOTE FOUNDATION CREATED ITS SITE USING A ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR GRANT FROM THE PEW FOUNDATION. THE FEDERAL VOTING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM SAYS IT'S UPGRADING ITS WEB SITE. THAT'LL COST MORE THAN HALF A MILLION DOLLARS, AND IT'S NOT YET AVAILABLE TO MILITARY PEOPLE THINKING ABOUT VOTING THIS TIME AROUND. CHAS HENRY, FEDERAL NEWS TODAY.