Ballots From the Billets

The U.S. Supreme Court has already weighed in on the presidential election. Now it's time for the military courts to weigh in.

Why? A recent article in The New York Times about the counting of absentee ballots in Florida raises serious questions about the behavior of some American soldiers. Most of the article was about the actions of the Bush campaign. The six-month investigation turned up strong evidence that the Bush campaign and the Florida Republican Party systematically put pressure on local election boards to bend the rules and accept late or otherwise invalid absentee ballots. Half of all late overseas ballots in pro-Bush counties were accepted, while only 18% of ballots in strong Gore areas got the same consideration.

Obviously, Congressional investigators or federal prosecutors should look into whether Bush lawyers, and their counterparts in the Gore campaign, twisted or broke election laws.

But among the most striking passages in the Times piece were those showing how military personnel took advantage of their absentee status:

After Nov. 7, some hurriedly mailed their ballots, unaware or unconcerned that late voting is illegal. Aboard the George Washington, an aircraft carrier then in the Adriatic Sea, Michael J. Kohrt recalled fellow crew members gathering around television sets on the morning of November 8. "We saw Florida was deadlocked, and everyone on the ship said, 'Whoa, I have got to get my ballot in,'" he said. "A lot of guys voted late."

Continued on page 2: »