PA State Senator, John Pippy, legislators discuss military absentee ballots
Pippy is in my neck of the woods in PA. He isn't my Senator, but he is near and he is a Republican. His remarks here, without edit but repositioning.
When called to duty, Pennsylvania Army National Guard PFC Naomi Bondy of Bridgeville put aside her studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and headed off to serve in Iraq.
Unfortunately, because of her service PFC Bondy wont have a chance to vote in the upcoming election as it stands now because she will be unable to return her absentee ballot by November 2.
Its unfair that the voices of many Pennsylvania men and women in uniform like PFC Bondy will not be heard in this upcoming election, Senator Pippy said. The men and women of the U.S. military who serve us daily in harms way deserve to have their votes counted.
PFC Bondys father, Frank Bondy of Bridgeville, joined US Senator Rick Santorum, Pennsylvania Senators Pippy and Jane Clare Orie, state Representatives Mark Mustio, Thomas Stevenson and Mike Turzai, U.S. Representatives Melissa Hart and Tim Murphy and other officials at a press conference Friday to again call upon Governor Rendell to support a two-week extension for absentee ballots from military members serving overseas.
Frank Bondy recently contacted Senator Pippy about his daughters case, which started when she left Indiana University earlier this month en route to Baghdad, where she is now serving on temporary duty with Company A, 13th Signal Battalion.
Mr. Bondy said he received his daughters absentee ballot in Bridgeville on October 26 and immediately forwarded it to her APO address. However, unless the balloting extension is granted, PFC Bondy a registered Allegheny County voter will be disenfranchised.
Senator Pippy and a number of federal, state and local officials continue to urge Governor Ed Rendell to give military and overseas voters extra time to return their absentee ballots.
At the very least, we should take the imminently reasonable step of extending a deadline by two weeks in order to ensure that our fellow citizens now serving in uniform like PFC Bondy can participate in this election and enjoy one of the most basic rights of citizenship, Senator Pippy said.
Father of PA Army National Guard member details need for voting extension
When called to duty, Pennsylvania Army National Guard PFC Naomi Bondy of Bridgeville put aside her studies at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and headed off to serve in Iraq.
Unfortunately, because of her service PFC Bondy wont have a chance to vote in the upcoming election as it stands now because she will be unable to return her absentee ballot by November 2.
Its unfair that the voices of many Pennsylvania men and women in uniform like PFC Bondy will not be heard in this upcoming election, Senator Pippy said. The men and women of the U.S. military who serve us daily in harms way deserve to have their votes counted.
PFC Bondys father, Frank Bondy of Bridgeville, joined US Senator Rick Santorum, Pennsylvania Senators Pippy and Jane Clare Orie, state Representatives Mark Mustio, Thomas Stevenson and Mike Turzai, U.S. Representatives Melissa Hart and Tim Murphy and other officials at a press conference Friday to again call upon Governor Rendell to support a two-week extension for absentee ballots from military members serving overseas.
Frank Bondy recently contacted Senator Pippy about his daughters case, which started when she left Indiana University earlier this month en route to Baghdad, where she is now serving on temporary duty with Company A, 13th Signal Battalion.
Mr. Bondy said he received his daughters absentee ballot in Bridgeville on October 26 and immediately forwarded it to her APO address. However, unless the balloting extension is granted, PFC Bondy a registered Allegheny County voter will be disenfranchised.
Senator Pippy and a number of federal, state and local officials continue to urge Governor Ed Rendell to give military and overseas voters extra time to return their absentee ballots.
At the very least, we should take the imminently reasonable step of extending a deadline by two weeks in order to ensure that our fellow citizens now serving in uniform like PFC Bondy can participate in this election and enjoy one of the most basic rights of citizenship, Senator Pippy said.
posted by Mark Rauterkus @ 7:31 AM
1 Comments:
At 7:42 AM,
Mark Rauterkus said…
News of this just 4 days before election day amounts to too little and too late. Sure, everyone's vote should count. Sure, I don't trust the current PA Governor. Sure, this press release might just be a warning call. However, it ins't new.
A new vote law just passed the PA house and senate a month or so ago. Was there a provision in there for the military votes that come in after election day? The law had a mandatory re-count provision given a "tight election."
Think again -- and do it sooner, please.
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