Rep. Reeves: House Approves Bill Protecting Voting Rights of U.S. Military Members
State Representative Peggy Reeves (D-Norwalk/Wilton) led the debate on the floor of the house which resulted in the Connecticut House of Representatives’ unanimous passage of the bill she sponsored to improve the voting capabilities of members of the U.S. military serving overseas, especially those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. the bill gives armed services members the ability to receive absentee ballots and ballot applications by fax or email.
Rep. Reeves explained that the bill (HB 5442) gives members of the armed services the ability to receive absentee ballot applications and absentee ballots from municipal clerks electronically, by fax, or email.
State Representative John Hetherington (R-New Canaan/Wilton), the ranking Republican on the legislature’s Government Administration and Elections’ Committee, also rose in strong support of the legislation noting that, since the Civil War, our state has consistently supported the right of those serving in the military to cast absentee ballots.
“Ensuring that troops posted so far from home are able to cast a ballot in a timely manner is the very least we can do,” said Rep. Reeves, who served for many years as the Registrar of Voters in Wilton. “The brave men and women who are serving us so proudly should not be disfranchised because of sporadic mail service in combat zones.”
In addition, the bill allows U. S. citizens age 18 and older, born outside the U. S. but whose parent or guardian was a Connecticut resident immediately prior to leaving the country, to register and vote in a federal election using a presidential or overseas absentee ballot. Current law does not allow them to do so.
“Many Wilton residents move overseas for a job assignment, to serve in the military, or other reasons only to discover that their children born overseas are not permitted to vote. I am pleased that we were able to resolve this oversight in the law.”
The bill next moves to the State Senate for their consideration. It must then receive the signature of the governor to become law.
Representative Peggy Reeves is serving her first term representing most of Wilton and part of Norwalk in the 143rd Assembly District. Rep Reeves sits on the legislature’s Government Administration and Elections, Judiciary and Transportation Committees.
